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  COURTNEY STEWART/Daily Bruin Jibril Raymo, an incoming freshman, zeroes in on a future Gator at the Califlorida Bowl in Santa Barbara.

By Scott Bair

Daily Bruin Reporter

As most Americans do on a lazy afternoon, UCLA football head coach Bob Toledo sat down in front of his television. On Saturday afternoon, his television turned into a crystal ball.

The ball showed UCSB’s Harden Stadium, where the future stars of UCLA football played their last high school game.

The second Califlorida Bowl matched the finest graduating high school talent from California and Florida against each other, resulting in a 17-14 victory for Florida. Every player on the field is headed to a Division I university.

Pac-10 schools doled out more than $500,000 a year in scholarships to 31 members of the California squad. Seven of those scholarships were courtesy of Bruin football, but none were given with more excitement than the free education allotted to running back Tyler Ebell.

The 5-foot-9-inch firecracker is full of boundless energy and insatiable motivation that allowed him to rack up a national high school record 4,484 yards last season alone.

California’s five-wide offense opened up the passing game for featured quarterbacks David Koral and Matt Leinhart, but closed off the running lanes and opportunities for Ebell.

“I wish they would have allowed me to contribute a little more,” Ebell said. “With the offense focused on passing, I just had to make the most of the opportunities that I did get.”

Ebell finished the day with 49 yards on 11 carries, plus a 22-yard reception.

One future Bruin that did get to showcase his talent was defensive back Matt Ware. Ware got involved in the California defensive effort on more than 10 occasions over the course of the game. The combination of his tackles, pass defections and blanket coverage of Florida wide receivers proved that Ware, with his amazing athletic ability, is ready for Division I competition. Toledo and the rest of the Bruin staff are hoping that Ware can fill the glaring Bruin vacancy at cornerback.

“I’m just going to concentrate my time on getting into the best shape of my life this summer,” Ware said. “When football season comes around, I will be ready, willing and able to do whatever the coaching staff wants me to do.”

Despite the efforts of Ware, Ebell and the rest of the Bruin class of 2005, the Californians could not overcome the tenacious, swarming Florida defense to seal a victory for the home crowd.

The Florida squad, led by quarterback Adrian McPherson’s 14 for 23, 243-yard performance, jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first half.

The California squad responded with its first effective drive of the game at the end of the first half. Leinhart led the offense down the field with a long pass to future Fresno State Bulldog Charles Ealy setting up a first-and-goal situation on the Florida 2-yard line.

Ebell failed to cross the goal line on three straight attempts, getting stuffed by Florida’s determined defensive front. Then with eight seconds to go in the half, Ebell finally skated through the line for a score.

The offense ruled the game in the third quarter, with each team scoring on their first possession, setting up the final score of 17-14.

Just because the score remained the same does not mean the game was over.

In the final minute of the game, California got the ball back at midfield after a 40-yard punt return by Demetrius Williams. Koral expertly moved the ball downfield, setting up a third-and-seven with the ball on the 21-yard line and 33 seconds on the clock.

Koral needed only 7 yards for a first down, but he wanted six points instead. He launched a lob pass intended for a fading Ealy, but it ended up in the hands of Florida cornerback D’Juan Brown.

“I knew that time was running out and that a touchdown would have killed us,” Brown said. “He ran a go route on me and I used the sideline to my advantage, making sure that I was the only one who was going to catch that ball.”

The interception marked the end of everyone’s high school career, with the players ready to move on to higher education and harder competition.