Powers closing in on decision

San Mateo (Calif.) Serra defensive end Will Powers took his final official visit this past weekend to Stanford and said he's about a week away from making his decision. It's a two team race between the Cardinal and Cal.

Powers, 6-4, 230 pounds is one of the elite rush ends in the West although he's being recruited by Stanford to play outside linebacker in the schools 3-4 scheme.

"It's going to be a very tough decision for me," Powers said. "On one hand, I'm so close to making it but so far away because both schools are such good schools. It's like I'm on the one yard line getting ready to take it in to the end zone- that last yard is always the toughest and that's how it is for me.

"Stanford and Cal are similar in a lot of ways but also very different. Both schools have great academic reputations and I'm comfortable at each. The biggest difference is the football programs. Cal is one of the best programs right now and Stanford is trying to get there.

"For me, I can see pluses in trying to help build a school from the bottom up, I love that challenge. That's how it was for me at our high school. We went from the bottom to one of the top programs in the area and I feel I had a lot to do with that. That's very gratifying for me. On the other hand, going to a school like Cal that is on top and trying to help maintain that, that's exciting too.

"I'm just going to take this week to do a lot of introspection and talk to a lot of people close to me to try and figure this thing out. I really don't have a time table for when I'll decide but hopefully by the end of the week, I'll know where I should be going. It's going to be a tough call but I know both are great schools and I can't go wrong with either one."

Powers said the visit to Palo Alto was enjoyable and he likes what new coach Walt Harris has to say.

"I think Coach Harris knows what he's doing," Powers said. "You look at his track record, he's a winner and I think he has a good understanding for what it takes to make Stanford a winning program."