WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University head football coach Roger Waialae has announced the signing of 15 high school seniors to NCAA Division II letters-of-intent as the Hilltoppers prepare for their first season as members of the Mountain East Conference.
Eleven of the newcomers are targeted for the offensive side of the ball. The signing class includes six offensive linemen, three linebackers, two running backs, two wide receivers, a quarterback and a defensive lineman.
“We went pretty heavy on the offensive line,” Waialae said, “but that was an area where we felt we needed to develop some depth. My staff did a good job of closing the deal with several guys we think can help us there along with some quality kids we had targeted at other positions. This shapes up as a pretty good group.”
The shortened pre-season camp now in effect for NCAA Division II programs makes it difficult for a freshman to hit the field in his first season at the collegiate level but Waialae isn’t ruling anything out for this class.
“With only about 2 1/2 weeks of camp, it is a pretty steep learning curve for the high school guys who weren’t here in the spring,” Waialae said. “That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. If a guy comes in here and shows us he’s physically and mentally ready to play at this level, he’ll play.”
The 15 high school recruits join the 12 collegiate and prep school transfers who came aboard over the Christmas break to form another solid group of newcomers for a Hilltopper program that is coming off its seventh winning season in the past eight years.
“We also have some other kids who have signed with us that we can’t announce yet due to NCAA paperwork requirements,” Waialae said, “so we should have right around 100 guys in the program in the fall. We’re really looking forward to the competition.”
The Hilltoppers will open the 2013 season with a Sept. 7 trip to Salisbury, N.C. to take on Catawba University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Following are capsules on the newest additions to West Liberty’s 2013 roster:
WEST LIBERTY FOOTBALL 2013 High School Recruits
Charles Connor, OL, 6-0, 269, Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines HS
– Standout offensive lineman on Florida HS powerhouse that produced 13 NCAA Division I or Division II signees following the 2012 season. …2-time All-Conference pick and 2-year starter. …Voted offensive MVP in regular-season game against state champion Bolles Academy.
Shavonta Craft, RB, 5-6, 175, Jeannette (Pa.) HS
– Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 22 running back with game-breaking speed. …Averaged more than 9 yards a carry out of the backfield for 10-2 Jeannette squad. …Had 8 kick return TDs (3 kickoffs, 5 punts) as a senior. …Bench presses 355 pounds.
Corey Ernest, OL, 6-2, 265, St. Clairsville (Ohio) HS
– Devastating run blocker on Ohio Division IV state runner-up team. …Also excelled on defensive line with 89 tackles. …Picked to play in Ohio North-South All-Star Game. …All-District, All-Buckeye 8, All-OVAC selection. …Teammate of fellow WLU recruit Cole Stephen.
Avery Goff, OL, 6-3, 295, Williamstown (W.Va.) HS
– Two-time All-West Virginia Class A lineman for perennial state small-school power. …Three-year starter on offensive and defensive lines for Yellowjackets. …Selected to play in West Virginia North-South All-Star Game
Max Kapron, WR, 6-5, 195, Malvern (Ohio) HS
– Second-Team All-Ohio Division IV wide receiver with 631 yards and 10 TDs on 34 catches. …Rushed for an average of nearly 10 yards per carry (496 yards on 53 carries) and scored 3 TDs. …Had 3 return TDs with an 86-yard kick return wiped out by penalty in an Ohio playoff game. …Versatile athlete also earned first-team All-Ohio Division IV honors in basketball
Dan Leonard, QB, 6-0, 180, Bath (N.Y.) Haverling HS
– Athletic signalcaller was a 4-year starter at New York high school. …Passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 TDs while rushing for more than 1,000 yards and 20 scores in stellar career. …Called up to varsity as 8th-Grader to serve as backup quarterback on school’s run to New York Class B state semifinals.
Tim Moody, OL, 6-3, 235, Canton (Ohio) Central Catholic HS
– First-team selection at offensive guard on 68th annual WHBC All-Stark County Team. …Also earned All-Northeast District honors for the Crusaders.
Jeremiah Ortiz, RB, 5-9, 180, Irondequoit (N.Y.) Eastridge HS
– Second-team All-New York Class A running back. …One of only two New York seniors picked to play in the National Underclass Combine (NUC) All-American Game at Myrtle Beach, S.C. …Averaged nearly 8 yards a carry as a senior, ran for 1,336 yards and 21 TD’s on 180 attempts for a 10-1 team that advanced to the New York Class A quarterfinals and was ranked No. 5 in the state.
Tyler Peterson, WR, 5-11, 194, Uhrichsville (Ohio) Claymont HS
– Second-team All-Ohio Division III and First-team All-District, All-Region, All-ECOL wide receiver. …Three-year starter topped the 3,000-yard career receiving mark in his final season. …Also had 200-yard rushing game in late-season start at quarterback.
Fred Pflugh, OL, 6-3, 270, Ellwood City (Pa.) Riverside HS
– Standout two-way lineman was a 2-year starter at Riverside HS. …Midwestern Athletic Conference Top 22 pick on the defensive line.
Clement Powell, OL, 6-1, 250, Martinsburg (W.Va.) HS
– Hard-nosed offensive lineman helped lead Martinsburg to its third straight West Virginia Class AAA state title. …First-team All-Potomac Valley Conference selection.
Mohammed Sankoh, LB, 6-0, 220, Westerville (Ohio) Central HS
– Starred at fullback and linebacker for WLU alum John Magistro on 7-3 Westerville Central team that just missed an Ohio Division I playoff berth. …Special mention All-Ohio Cardinal Conference selection with 52 tackles and 3.5 quarterback sacks.
Khalil Seaburn, DL, 5-8, 260, Aliquippa (Pa.) HS
– Run-stuffing defensive lineman also excelled as a blocking fullback for the WPIAL champion and Pennsylvania Class AA state runner- up Quips. …Two-time Midwestern Athletic Conference Top 22 selection. …Two-time WPIAL Class AA All-Section honoree
Cole Stephen, LB, 6-1, 200, St. Clairsville (Ohio) HS
– Two-way standout starred at center and linebacker for Ohio Division IV runners-up. …A 3-year starter at center, he was charted with more than 100 tackles from his linebacker spot as a senior. …All-District, All-Buckeye 8, All-OVAC selection. …Teammate of fellow WLU recruit Corey Ernest.
Garrett Vulcano, LB, 6-1, 200, Houston (Pa.) Chartiers-Houston HS
– First-team All-Pennsylvania linebacker had 130 tackles in 9 games as a senior and 419 career stops. …Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 22 and Washington Observer-Reporter Elite 11. …Black Hills Conference Defensive MVP. …Played in East/West All-Star Game and Tri-County All-Star Game. …School-record 26 stops in a win against Shenango as a junior. …Outstanding wrestler set school record with 154 career wins. …State runner-up at 195 pounds as a senior.
