 |
|
||||||||||
|
 |
***Plainfield's Justin Sears and Roselle Catholic's Jameel Warney are former elementary school teammates who have emerged as two of the leading candidates for Union County Player of the Year! ***Summit's backcourt ace Kate Martino has been a terrific 4-year starter for the Hilltoppers and she reached a coveted milestone during Tuesday night's hard-fought win vs. Linden. Read"Feature Articles" ***A very deep and talented Mount St. Dominic's Lady Sea Lions squad made a huge splash in recent Essex County Championships. Check out chatter from meet in "The Buzz" |
Montclair head football coach John Fiore proudly stands behind his three Temple University-bound seniors, from left, linebackers Avery Ellis and Stephaun Marshall and quarterback Khalif Herbin, who will play slot receiver for the Owls. The Mounties had five players make their college decisions official on Wednesday's National Signing Day as it turned out to be one happy day for all. (Sideline Chatter photo) |
A Whirlwind Week Ends Happily
As Montclair Football Quintet Signs
By Steve Tober
For sidelinechatter.com
MONTCLAIR- John Fiore recalled the twinkle in Greg Schiano’s eye as he brought up the topic of the NFL as the two had lunch at Nauna’s on Valley Road, just three days before the bombshell announcement about the Rutgers head coach leaving Piscataway after 11 seasons in order to accept the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ job.
“I first thanked him for not taking the Penn State job, even though I didn’t know if it had been offered, but I know his name had come up,” recalled Montclair’s second-year head football coach. “Then, I said, ‘if you took a pro job people can’t argue with that,' and he had a twinkle in his eye, and then he said, ‘I’m glad to hear you said that coach.’
“Looking back, after the news that came out Thursday, ‘wow,’ I thought to myself.”
It has indeed been a whirlwind last week for those who follow both the high school and college football scene in New Jersey, what with Schiano exiting for the NFL without even an inkling of such news about to break; and the scholastic seniors scrambling to reassess their decisions, or to remain steadfast in devotion to the Scarlet Knights that will now be directed by one of Schiano’s lieutenants, former assistant Kyle Flood.
At Montclair, where highly-regarded defensive end Julian Pinnix-Odrick wound up sticking to his verbal commitment and signed with Rutgers Wednesday morning, and three more outstanding seniors- all-state quarterback Khalif Herbin, along with linebackers Avery Ellis and Stephaun Marshall - finalized their original plans in terms of accepting D-1A scholarships with Temple University, it turned out to be a very happy setting afterall in the high school library as National Signing Day went off quite smoothly indeed.
Rashawn Barrett, an outstanding strong safety on last fall’s North 1, Group 4 runner-up Mountie squad, also signed his official papers with 1-AA Delaware State, where he will become a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference program this fall.
In all it was much calmer in Montclair and beyond than it had been six days prior with Schiano’s announcement sending veritable shockwaves throughout the Garden State as National Signind Day was fast approaching.
copyright 2005 Sideline Chatter - comments - contact the webmaster