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 San Clemente’s Cole Fothereingham, second from right, signed his letter of intent with Utah on Wednesday. He is standing with two of his football teammates, from left, Donte Harrington and Tucker Scott, and Kevin Kling, right.
San Clemente’s Cole Fothereingham, second from right, signed his letter of intent with Utah on Wednesday. He is standing with two of his football teammates, from left, Donte Harrington and Tucker Scott, and Kevin Kling, right.

Cole Fotheringham is on a mission for his mission.

The All-County tight end for San Clemente’s football team signed with Utah on Wednesday, the first day of the national letter-of-intent signing period for football.

Fotheringham, a senior, will start his Mormon mission shortly after graduating from San Clemente in the spring and then join the Utes football team in 2018.

Utah recruited Fotheringham as a tight end. He is a fast 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and he hopes to still be that way after his two-year mission.

“I’ll be a tight end when I get there,” he said. “Unless I gain like 50 pounds during my mission and they move me to defensive line.”

Taking a look around Orange County high school sports:

Ed Drzanek resigned as football head coach at El Modena, where he will remain as athletic director and will coach the freshman football team. Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Matt Mitchell was promoted to head coach. Drzanek took over the El Modena program in 2010 when the Vanguards finished 2-8. In 2015, they finished 8-5 and advanced to the CIF-SS Southern Division semifinals for the second year in a row.

Brent Mertens resigned as Crean Lutheran’s football coach to accept a coaching position in Colorado. Mertens coached the Saints for three seasons. The 2015 season was the school’s best, as Crean finished 9-4 and advanced to the East Valley Division semifinals.

• Segerstrom is expected to announce the name of its new football coach early next week. Mike Maceranka, the only football coach in the school’s history, accepted the coaching position at Laguna Hills.

Matt McDonald, Mater Dei’s 2015 starting quarterback until he was injured, has transferred to Mission Viejo. He will be a senior for the ’16 season.

• If there are “obvious” transfers, McDonald’s move is one. At Mater Dei, he was replaced by freshman JT Daniels, who went on to be an All-County selection and has a sizeable lead in any race for the Monarchs’ starting quarterback position. At Mission Viejo, a place known for excellence at quarterback, he will try to replace 2015 O.C. offensive player of the year Brock Johnson, who is graduating.

• Kids will transfer if they and their parents – especially the parents – see a better opportunity for a college scholarship and/or the chance to be on a CIF championship contender. Acknowledging that reality here is not an endorsement.

• Football players who did not get Division 1 offers can participate in the California Showcase at the Great Park in Irvine on Feb. 20. Presented by former UCLA coach Terry Donahue and the National Football Foundation, the event, in its fourth year, is an opportunity for seniors to show their skills to Division II and III and NAIA coaches. Visit cashowcase.org for information.

• On a warm and sunny Wednesday afternoon, San Clemente football player Donte Harrington signed with Boise State, which is in significantly colder Idaho. His parents, Don and Christine Harrington, were asked if they know of a nearby cold-weather clothing store, to which they quickly replied in unison, “The Columbia store!” The Harringtons have already loaded up on winter wear at the outdoors gear company’s outlet in San Clemente.

• The Sunset League Vs. Trinity League Baseball Challenge begins Saturday with two games: Mater Dei at Los Alamitos, 10 a.m., and Santa Margarita vs. Huntington Beach at Canyon High, noon. It is a preseason event that continues Feb. 13 and 17. The CIF-SS season officially starts Feb. 27.

• The National Football Foundation’s Orange County Chapter has a shortage of memberships among county football programs. Every spring the chapter puts on a brilliant Scholar-Athletes dinner that awards scholarship gifts to many county players, and membership fees help make that happen. Email chapter president Steve McKay at mckayz@msn.com for details. Booster clubs are encouraged to represent their programs with a membership.

• Servite’s Alan Clinton is this school year’s California athletic director of the year, as selected by the California State Athletic Directors Association. Clinton also is among the state’s more successful wrestling coaches.

• The 2016 girls volleyball season will start Aug. 22, one week earlier than previously scheduled. The CIF Southern California Regionals, the qualifying tournament for the state championships, was moved to a Nov. 16 starting date, one week earlier than previously scheduled, thus forcing the CIF-Southern Section season to start one week earlier.

• All six of Saturday’s Nike Extravaganza evening-session games will be streamed live at FloHoops.com. There are different subscription fees. Visit the website for details.

• An endorsement of Rich Fisher, new football coach at Santa Margarita: “After knowing ‘Fish’ for years I can say the school couldn’t hve picked a better coach, person or mentor to lead the young men of Santa Margarita.” That came from New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

• Membership in the Sea View and South Coast leagues for the 2016 football season will be Mission Viejo, San Clemente, San Juan Hills, Tesoro and Trabuco Hills in the South Coast League; Aliso Niguel, Capistrano Valley, Dana Hills, El Toro and Laguna Hills in the Sea View League. Four teams traded places as happens after two seasons: San Clemente and Trabuco Hills move from the Sea View to the South Coast; Dana Hills and El Toro move from the South Coast to the Sea View.

• Officials, specifically starters, are needed for track and field. Contact Speed Castillo at 714-778-4421 for information.

• Orange Lutheran baseball coach Eric Borba will manage the USA Baseball 12-and-under national team this summer.

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com