On the Golden State recruiting trail: Ginda chooses the Spartans

Pacheco-Los Banos linebacker/fullback Frank Ginda (third person from the left) took to social media to announce his college decision and - through a family photograph - made his choice to join San Jose State (contributed photo).

Frank Ginda of Pacheco-Los Banos took a family picture on Monday, Oct. 13, with a special kind of towel being held up for the camera: a San Jose State towel that helped announce the linebacker/fullback's college decision.

Ginda announced that he's committing to the Spartans, ending his recruiting process that saw San Jose State, Air Force and a few PAC-12 schools coming after him. Ginda, though, said the Spartans were the right fit.

"I felt like that it would be a great place for me to play football," Ginda said. "The coaches were welcoming and the players really buy into the team."

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Ginda - who holds a 3.93 grade point average - is currently the Panthers' leading tackler with 55 stops. He's averaged 11 tackles per game during Pacheco's 5-2 start. He also has a team-high seven tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles.

Offensively, Ginda leads the Panther rushing attack with 241 yards on 20 carries and averages 12.1 yards per carry. He's also leading PHS in receiving yards with 228 on eight receptions.

His trainer and 7-on-7 football coach Devon Hillard said Ginda was blown away by the experience of attending the Spartans-UNLV game on Oct. 4, which factored into Ginda's commitment.

"The San Jose State coaching staff made him feel comfortable," Hillard said. "They are looking for him to play early."

Ginda and Pacheco will play a home game at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, against Ceres (1-6).