DYLAN BUTLER
At perennial powerhouse Poly Prep, Dino Mangiero is used to having a long line at the fax machine on National Signing Day. That was no different this year with six Blue Devils signing for various colleges. The only tweak, the Poly coach said, is the names of the colleges.
“Normally I have a bunch of I-A Boston College, Rutgers kind of kids,” he said. “This is just as satisfying because six kids are going to great schools. Cornell, Lehigh, Williams and Trinity are some of the best colleges in the country. These kids were such great students that they all have an opportunity to go to great schools, which makes me very happy.”
Linebacker Rush Miller, offensive tackle Ryan Pearce and defensive tackle Cadell Williams will play at Cornell in the Ivy League in the fall, while wide receiver Alex Buford will be at Lehigh. Qadir Forbes, who was a guard/linebacker will be a fullback at Division II Williams College, while cornerback/wide receiver Jacob Rivers is heading to Trinity College.
“It’s very rewarding to send these kids off to great schools,” Mangiero said.
Next year, Mangiero said, he’ll again have major Division I-A signees with fullback/linebacker Faton Bauta, wide receiver Malik Rodriguez and cornerback Dylin Lewis, all being recruited by big-time programs.
Standouts from Stepinac: There’s been some quality players at Archbishop Stepinac, but never has coach Mike O’Donnell had two players sign with a Division I-A school in the same year until now. Joining Syracuse-bound defensive end Donnie Simmons is quarterback Tyrell Goodman, who signed a National Letter of Intent with Akron.
He’ll play for Stepinac alum Rob Ianello, who is in his second year as Zips coach.
“He’s a quarterback and excellent athlete from one of the premier high schools in New York,” Ianello said. “We’re really happy to have Tyrell here and he can do a lot of good things athletically.”
Goodman threw for 1,686 yards and 23 touchdowns and had a 193.76 quarterback rating, while rushing for 1,172 yards and 11 more scores. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder helped lead the Crusaders an undefeated season and the CHSFL Class AA title and was named the Class A New York State Player of the Year.
Paul all but signed, sealed and delivered: New Utrecht quarterback Jordan Paul didn’t sign anywhere on Feb. 2, but he won’t remain uncommitted for long. He planned on visiting Gardner-Webb of the College Football Subdivision this past Monday, meet newly hired head coach Ron Dickerson and, if all goes right, commit then, Utes offensive coordinator and Paul’s guardian Wendell Fevrine said.
“A lot of things were supposed to happen that didn’t happen the way we thought, but Gardner Webb is a real good situation,” Fevrine said of the Big South conference team located in North Carolina.
Marist, Hampton and Charleston are still in the mix if Gardner-Webb doesn’t work out for the standout signal-caller who threw for 1,402 yards and 13 touchdowns.
