April 24th, 2009    

Vallejo, Calif.---Cal Maritime head men’s basketball coach Bryan Rooney has announced the signing of Mid-Pacific Institute guard Marcus Holyfield.  Marcus recently finished an outstanding high school career at Mid-Pacific where he played for head coach Nathan Hu.

“Marcus is an exceptional young man and I am ecstatic that we will have the opportunity to coach him and have him as part of our program.  He was arguably the best high school player in the state of Hawaii and he is an even better person. His commitment to maximizing his potential on a daily basis in the classroom and on the floor lead me to believe that he will have an outstanding career,” commented Coach Rooney.

During his senior season, Marcus averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game.  He was also extremely effective on the defensive end consistently drawing the opponent’s best player including a match up against nationally ranked Oak Hill Academy.  For his efforts, Holyfield was named to the state’s all defensive team. Along with this distinction, Marcus was named to the “Hawaii Sports Examiner Fab 15” as one of the state’s best overall players finishing with the second most votes.  An outstanding student as well, he will be a Marine Engineering student at Maritime.

“From the first time we saw him play as a junior, Marcus’ intensity and passion for the game were very evident.  I am excited that Keelhauler fans will get to see this intensity and passion from Marcus in a Maritime uniform during his four years,” concluded Coach Rooney.

Cal Maritime finished the 2008-09 season with a school record 17 wins including a 9-7 record in the California Pacific Conference. The Keelhaulers earned a bid to the Cal Pac Conference Championships and advanced in the playoffs as far as any Cal Maritime team ever has. The 2009-2010 seasons begins when the Keelhaulers travel to participate in the Cal Baptist Lancer Classic.

Go Keelhaulers!