by John Y. Wehmueller
Germantown Gazette
01-24-2007

If you’re into Signing Day drama, the place to be in two weeks is Seneca Valley High School.

The Germantown school was a prime destination for college football recruiters over the past year, and the payoff comes Feb. 7, when the school promises ‘‘at least four” seniors will sign National Letters of Intent to play Division I college football.

The Screaming Eagles’ most sought-after recruit this year, defensive tackle Donald Langley, is already attending the University of Tennessee, to which he committed in early November. His signature on Tennessee stationary Feb. 7, the first day recruits can sign scholarship offers, is a mere formality.

For many high-level recruits like Langley, the recruiting process was all but over months ago. A number of the county’s top prospects will simply honor longstanding commitments to Division I-A on Signing Day. Among them are Blake’s Corwin Acker, Good Counsel’s Nick Jenkins and Danny Parker, and Northwest’s Joseph Lefeged and Justin Young.

But for many of the county’s other top football players, the decision is coming down to the wire. Some have been mulling offers from several schools. Some burst onto the scene late with a strong senior season, and have been waiting to see what becomes available.

No matter the reason, there should be some interesting revelations in two Wednesdays.

Drama kings

Which brings us back to Seneca Valley, home to one of the county’s biggest question marks. Fullback⁄linebacker Jourdan Brooks was all set to announce his decision in tandem with Langley on Nov. 6. But at the last minute, Brooks decided to wait, and will now unveil his decision on Signing Day. Tennessee, Rutgers and Illinois are the three schools still in the running. The Volunteers and a reunion with former teammate Langley have been the apparent front-runners for a while, but the delay in Brooks’ decision casts some doubt.

Also at Seneca Valley, two linebackers will choose among Division I suitors. Fred Branch appears to have narrowed his choices to a pair of Mid-American Conference schools, Buffalo (N.Y.) and Bowling Green (Ohio). Anthony Chase looks set to play Division I-AA ball at Sacred Heart (Conn.), Stony Brook (N.Y.) or Duquesne (Pa.), all of which play in the Northeast Conference.

There appears to be no drama, at least, around offensive lineman Malinda Weeramunda, who is expected to honor a commitment to I-AA Towson, of the Atlantic-10.

Down to the wire

Heading into the season, Paint Branch receiver Dayon Arrington was widely considered one of the state’s elite recruits, a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com. Arrington did nothing to diminish his status during the fall, leading the county in regular-season receiving yards with 1,008.

Yet while Arrington still seems to have plenty of big-name suitors, one thing he does not yet have is an offer. Depending how the chips fall, he may have to wait until after Signing Day for an offer from an Atlantic Coast Conference school, like long-time admirers Virginia and Virginia Tech. If someone snatches him up in the next two weeks, it could be a Division I-AA program.

Kennedy linebacker Chimso Okoji took the opposite track. An unknown to college coaches before the season, he rocketed up wish lists thanks to a stellar season for both he and the Cavaliers. First-year coach Gunnard Twyner, a former NFL player, has worked some magic on Okoji’s behalf, as well; two of his suitors, Iowa and Iowa State, are from Twyner’s home state. It now appears Okoji will be a Division I-A player come Signing Day — other potential destinations are Central Florida, Michigan State, Virginia and Boston College.

Richard Montgomery running Patrick Pinchinat led the county in rushing with 1,722 yards and scored 17 touchdowns, many in dazzling fashion. His sub-4.5 40-yard dash speed and good size (6-1, 200) would seemingly make him a natural target of recruiters, but he has nothing definite lined up. He said Wagner (N.Y.) and James Madison have offered him, but said he’s still talking to Maryland, Louisville, Richmond and Hofstra.

Destination unknown

Still no word on the college future of Whitman-turned-Wheaton linebacker Pat Lazear. Lazear had a long and impressive list of suitors — including Ohio State, Alabama and Maryland — until an arrest and subsequent guilty plea surrounding the robbery of a Bethesda smoothie store last March.

Record-setting Sherwood quarterback Deontay Twyman is also still working out his football future. Twyman and Sherwood coach Al Thomas both said recently that the county’s all-time passing leader (7,062 yards, 80 touchdowns) was most likely to spend one year at a ‘‘prep school,” such as Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy. Junior College is also still an option.

Around the horn

The influx of recruiters to Montgomery County in recent years hasn’t only benefited the top tier of players. The talent search has also unearthed a deep well of college-ready players. This year’s class looks to be remarkably deep on talent just below the Division I-A level.

Just as it did last year, Gaithersburg High looks to have a pair of I-AA signees lined up for Feb. 7. All-Gazette first-team linebacker Pierre LaFontant, like Seneca Valley’s Chase, is likely bound for the Northeast Conference. His leading suitors are Monmouth (N.J.), St. Francis (Pa.) and Stony Brook (N.Y.). The University of Massachusetts, of the Atlantic-10, might still be in the mix. LaFontant’s partner in the Trojans’ linebacking corps, Josh McCants, is expected to honor his commitment to Towson, joining Weeramunda, though I-A Miami-Ohio is showing late interest.

Arrington’s Paint Branch teammate and fellow All-Gazette first-teamer, offensive lineman Neal Muradymov, is another likely I-AA target who could come to a decision by Feb. 7. Delaware State, of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, leads the charge for the 6-foot-7, 300-plus-pound tackle’s signature.

Two Wheaton athletes are closing in on Division I-AA scholarship offers, and hope to have them in hand by signing day. Elijah Davis and Donald Ellis are both being pursued by Atlantic-10 programs Richmond (Va.), Delaware and Hofstra (N.Y.), along with Lafayette (Pa.).

Good Counsel should boast its usual compliment of scholarship players, though none but Jenkins and Parker are set on specific targets.

A number of athletes who will go on to play college football will not put pen to paper on Signing Day. Some will play at Division III or Ivy League schools, which do not offer athletic scholarships. And many Division II and even I-AA prospects will wait until things shake out at the higher levels, then sign after Feb. 7.

So stay tuned.

Player Likely destination

Corwin Acker (Blake, RB) Temple

Dayon Arrington (Paint Branch, WR) ???

Fred Branch (Seneca Valley, LB) Division I-A

Jourdan Brooks (Seneca Valley, FB⁄LB) Division I-A

Kevin Campbell (Poolesville, WR⁄DB) Division II

Anthony Chase (Seneca Valley, LB) Division I-AA

Elijah Davis (Wheaton, ATH) Division I-AA

Donald Ellis (Wheaton, ATH) Division I-AA

Nick Jenkins (Good Counsel, OL⁄DL) Virginia

Pierre LaFontant (Gaithersburg, LB) Division I-AA

Donald Langley (Seneca Valley, DL) Tennessee

Joseph Lefeged (Northwest, DB) Rutgers

Josh McCants (Gaithersburg, LB) Towson

Neal Muradymov (Paint Branch, OL) Division I-AA

Chimso Okoji (Kennedy, LB) Division I-A

Danny Parker (Good Counsel, TE) Duke

Patrick Pinchinat (Richard Montgomery, RB) ???

Malinda Weeramunda (Seneca Valley, OL) Towson

Justin Young (Northwest, DL) Virginia Tech