Advertisement
football Edit

Liberty adds 18, including former All-American

Eighteen high school student-athletes chose
today to join Liberty's football program, as the high school standouts
Advertisement
officially signed their national letters of intent for the upcoming 2010-11
academic year.
The class of 18 signees is the second largest of head coach Danny Rocco's five
signing classes. During the three-time Big South Coach of the Year's first
season with the program, Rocco inked 24 recruits to national letters of intent.
The 18 signees hail from four different states, with eight coming from within
the Commonwealth of Virginia. Five other signees were from Florida, while three
signed from North Carolina and a pair from Maryland. Additionally, Rocco also
introduced three mid-year transfers, who joined the program in January.
"We are very excited about our signing class of 2010," commented Rocco. "This
class is a complete class consisting of both quantity and quality. We wanted to
put a class together consisting of players who are of high character and that
are self-motivated individuals.
"Many of these student-athletes have been captains on championship teams. We are
grateful for the support of Chancellor Falwell and our entire University as we
continue to build this program. We will look forward to welcoming this group on
campus this summer."
These 18 future student-athletes will look to continue Liberty's upward trend
and help the program retain its position of national prominence, much like
Rocco's first 59 signees (24: 2006, 11: 2007, 13: 2008 and 11: 2009).
Since Rocco has taken over the program, Liberty has captured three-straight Big
South titles and finished the last two years ranked inside the final Top 25
national FCS polls. Liberty finished the 2009 season ranked No. 21 in the final
FCS Coaches Poll and No. 22 in the last Sports Network listing.
Rocco's first signing class just finished up their four-year careers this past
season, helping Liberty to an 8-3 record and a share of the Big South's title.
The group finished up their four-year careers with a 32-13 record, which is the
best record by a graduating senior class in program history. The group also
became the program's first senior class to post four-straight winning seasons.
Matthew Baptiste: LB, 6-0, 215,
Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes HS
Four-year letterwinner at Ocean Lake High School
… finished his career with 244 tackles … earned All-Beach honors as a junior and
senior … recorded 32 stops, including 10 tackles for a loss as a freshman …
finished his sophomore season with 42 tackles and nine tackles for a loss … as a
junior, he finished the year with a career-best 94 tackles, two sacks, two
interceptions, a safety, a blocked field goal and a forced fumble … finished off
his career at Ocean Lakes by posting 74 tackles, two sacks, a safety, a blocked
field goal and a fumble recovery … son of Ken and Helen Baptiste … intends to
major in pre-med.
Dylan Bowman: TE/DE, 6-3, 240, Ocean Isle Beach, N.C./West Brunswick HS
Four-year letterwinner at West Brunswick High Schoool … three-time All
Brunswick County selection … two-time all-conference honoree … earned his first
letter as a freshman at right guard … Varsity Captains Award and Carolina
Panthers Community Captains Award selections as a senior … All-Region: All-Zone
team member during his senior year … also a member of the varsity baseball and
wrestling teams … first-place finish at the North Brunswick wrestling tournament
… son of Teresa McCormick.
Tracy Curry: ATH, 6-1, 195, Ocala, Fla./Lake Weir HS
Two-year letterwinner at Lake Weir High School … threw for more than
2,700 yards and 27 touchdowns during his first two seasons … also rushed for an
additional 1,809 yards and 14 touchdowns ... during his junior year, Curry
completed 53.8 percent of his pass attempts (77-of-143) for 1,305 yards and 20
touchdowns … additionally rushed for 1,086 yards and three touchdowns …
first-team All-Area as a senior … threw for 1,413 yards and seven touchdowns, as
he completed 52.7 percent of his pass attempts (97-of-184) … also rushed for 723
yards on 104 carries during his senior year, scoring 11 times on the ground …
additionally, he finished his senior year with three punt returns for touchdowns
… member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes … son of Keven and Lavern
Walthall.
Jacob Hagen: DB, 6-3, 195, Orange Park, Fla./Orange Park HS
Two-year letterwinner at Orange Park High School … all-conference,
all-county and all-district selection during his junior and senior years … as a
junior, he finished the year with 89 tackles, three interceptions, seven pass
breakups and three tackles for a loss … was named his team's Most Versatile
Player as a junior … also served as the team's punter and punt returner … named
team's Best DB and All-First Coast as a senior … finished his final season at
Orange Park with 70 tackles, one interception, six pass breakups, two tackles
for a loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries … also had a standout
baseball career, earning all-conference and FACA second-team corner infield
honors … son of Dan and Ilona Hagen.
Gabe Henderson: QB, 5-11, 190, Garner, N.C./Southeast Raleigh HS
Three-year starter and letterwinner at Southeast Raleigh High School …
also was a three-year all-conference academic honoree … all-conference selection
as a junior, when he threw for 2,200 yards and rushed for 600 yards and seven
touchdowns … conference Player of the Year as a senior after throwing for 2,700
yards and 27 touchdowns … also rushed for 1,005 yards and 12 scores … named team
MVP as a senior … also took home second-team All-Area accolades as a senior.
Scott Hyland: LB/TE, 6-1, 220, Forest, Va./Liberty Christian Academy
Four-year letterwinner at Liberty Christian Academy … three-year
starter … two-year team captain … two-time all-state honoree at linebacker …
finished his career with 195 tackles, 15 sacks and seven interceptions … also
added 80 career receptions for 1,417 yards and 21 touchdowns … helped LCA to a
state title as a junior, where he caught 18 passes for 355 yards and six
touchdowns, while adding 54 tackles and six sacks … conference Defensive Player
of the Year as a junior, as he finished with 79 tackles, six sacks and three
interceptions … earned his first all-state linebacking honor as a junior … also
finished his junior year with 27 receptions for 504 yards and six touchdowns …
first-team all-conference honoree at tight end and linebacker as a senior …
finished his senior year with 62 tackles, three sacks, four interceptions, three
forced fumbles and a fumble recovery … also added 35 receptions for 558 yards
and nine touchdowns during his senior year.
Andrew Jauch: DB, 6-1, 185, Waxhaw, N.C./Parkwood HS
Three-year letterwinner at Parkwood High School … finished his career
with 227 tackles, seven interceptions, three touchdowns and four blocked extra
points … all-county honoree as a junior and senior … named team's Most
Outstanding DB as a junior … first-team all-conference and Parkwood's Defensive
MVP as a senior … finished his senior year with 112 tackles … son of John and
Lynn Jauch.
Ryan Mickens: RB, 6-0, 230, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./University Christian
HS
Four-year letterwinner … two-year all-county selection at fullback as a
freshman and sophomore … first-team all-district selection at running back as a
junior … played seven games during his senior year, rushing for 710 yards on 96
carries (7,4 average) and six touchdowns … son of Randy and Patty Mickens.
Andre Mondor: OL, 6-4, 320, Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant HS
Four-year letterwinner at H.B. Plant High School … helped H.B. Plant
win the state title three out of four years … H.B. Plant captured the state
Class 4A title during his freshman and sophomore seasons and the state Class 5A
title during his senior year … first-team all-tourny as a junior and senior …
first-team all-Hillsbrough County and first-team all-Sun Coast as a senior … was
a part of H.B. Plant's four-year run, where the team posted a 53-4 record and a
17-1 mark in the playoffs … finished the 2009 season ranked No. 4 nationally in
the final USA Today High School poll … winner of the Jimmy Kynes Award, which is
given annually to the top offensive or defensive lineman in the Tampa Bay area …
named to the High Honor roll 10 times … National Honor Society member … son of
Mike and Lori Mondor.
Bobby Partilla: LB, 6-1, 210, Gambrills, Md./Arundel HS
Two-year letterwinner at Arundel High School … all-county selection as
a junior, finishing the year with 111 tackles … all-county, all-state and
all-MET as a senior with 131 tackles … was named to the Anne Arundel Fab 5
defensive team as a senior … son of Robert and Kim Partilla.
Greg Ray: OL/DL, 6-4, 300, Pearisburg, Va./Giles HS
Four-year letterwinner … two-year Group A first-team all-state
selection as a junior and senior … first-team Three Rivers district selection as
a junior … during his senior year, he was a first-team all-district offensive
honoree and a second-team defensive selection … was named the Three Rivers
District Lineman of the Year as a senior … four-year letterwinner in basketball
… two-year letterwinner in track … comes from an athletic family as his father,
Don, played football at West Virginia Tech … his uncle, John Ray, played
football at West Virginia and professionally with the Indianapolis Colts.
Desmond Rice: RB, 5-8, 190, Lynchburg, Va./Liberty Christian Academy
Three-year letterwinner and starter at Liberty Christian Academy …
finished his career by rushing for 3,136 yards and 40 touchdowns … averaged 7.7
yards per rushing attempt for his career … as a freshman, he rushed for 83 yards
and two touchdowns … helped LCA to a state championship as sophomore, when he
rushed for 649 yard and six touchdowns … first-team all-conference and
second-team all-state honoree as a junior … rushed for 1,089 yards and 11
touchdowns … also added 15 receptions for 132 yards and a score as a junior …
first-team all-conference and all-state as a senior … posted career numbers
during his senior year, as he rushed for 1,315 yards and 21 touchdowns, while
adding 16 receptions for 333 yards and three touchdown catches.
Nick Sigmon: LB, 6-2, 240, Roanoke, Va./Northside HS
Four-year letterwinner at Northside High School … three-time
all-district honoree … finished his sophomore season with 122 tackles (98 solo),
14 tackles for a loss, five sacks and three fumble recoveries … second-team
all-district honoree as a junior with 156 tackles (118 solo), 12 quarterback
hurries, two interceptions, 12 tackles for a loss and four forced fumbles …
helped Northside High School to a state title as a senior … Blue Ridge District
Player of the Year … Region 3 co-Defensive Player of the Year … Va. Preps and
Associated Press first-team all-state selection … Roanoke Times All-Timesland
Defensive Player of the year … Kroger Crunch Defensive Player of the Year … also
a varsity letterwinner in wrestling and baseball … son of Ronnie and Carrie
Sigmon.
Kenny Scott: DB/WR, 5-10, 165, Appomattox, Va./Appomattox HS
Four-year letterwinner at Appomattox High School … all-district
second-team honoree as a junior … finished his career with 5,330 total offensive
yards … passed for 2,081 yards and 11 touchdowns (116-of-234) … rushed for 3,249
yards on 428 carries and 38 touchdowns … named Lynchburg News and Advance
Offensive Player of the Year as a senior … second-team all-state honoree as a
senior … first-team all-district and all-region honoree as a senior … two-time
letterwinner in basketball … also lettered in baseball … track Region Athlete of
the Year … state long jump champion as a junior with a distance of 23-8 … son of
Trynne and Kim Scott … is intending to major in engineering.
Randy Spann: DB, 5-11, 205, Glen Burnie, Md./Old Mill HS
Two-year letterwinner at Old Mill High School … two-time team MVP …
named all-county during his junior and senior years … team captain as a junior
and finished the year with 86 tackles … Fab 5 Defense honoree with 115 tackles
as a senior … son of Randy and Grace Spann.
Matt Stokes: DL, 6-2, 255, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas
Three-year letterwinner at St. Thomas Aquinas High School … helped
guide St. Thomas Aquinas to state championships as a sophomore and senior …
all-county honorable-mention as a junior after finishing the year with 13
tackles, five tackles for a loss and two sacks … St. Thomas Aquinas finished his
junior year with a perfect 15-0 record, claiming a state and national
championship … earned a second all-county honorable-mention nod as a senior,
after finishing his final year with 26 tackles, five sacks, 10 tackles for a
loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery … St. Thomas Aquinas was ranked
No. 1 in the country during his senior year before losing to Manatee High School
in the state semifinal game, snapping a 37-game winning streak … academic honor
roll … son of Thomas and Barbara Stokes … younger brother of former Flame
fullback Chris Stokes.
Kevin Widener: TE, 6-4, 260, Lebanon, Va./Lebanon HS
Four-year letterwinner at Lebanon High School … first-team all-district
and second-team all-region as a senior … finished his senior year with 21
receptions for 204 yards and five touchdowns … also a three-year letterwinner in
basketball and a four-year letterwinner in baseball … elected junior and senior
class president … AIM Scholar Athlete … son of Don and Vickie Widener.
J'Courtney Williams: LB, 6-2, 225, Christchurch, Va./Christchurch HS
Four-year letterwinner at Christchurch High School … will be coming to
Liberty from El Camino Community College in Torrance, Calif. … helped lead
Christchurch to three Old Dominion Football Conference titles … three-time
all-conference selection … conference player of the year as a senior … two-time
team MVP … as a junior, he was named to the CBS Sportsline and Prepstar Magazine
All-America team … including football, he was an 11-time letterwinner at
Christchurch High School in four different sports (football/4, basketball 5,
baseball/1 and lacrosse/1).
New additions to Liberty's roster and already enrolled at Liberty this
spring:
Francis Bah: TE, 6-2, 250, Duisburg, Germany/Lise-Meitner Gesamtschule
Graduated from the Lise-Meitner Gesamtschule school program … as a
senior, he played in five games, finishing with 486 receiving yards and 12
touchdowns … also had five special teams touchdowns, scoring on three kickoff
returns and two punt returns … member of the national team and earned all-state
honors … played with the Duesseldorf Dragons ruby club.
Chris Mayo, II: DB, 6-0, 200, Neptune, N.J./St. John Vianney (Fork
Union)
Comes to Liberty from Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. …
started all 10 games during his one year with the program … was ranked No. 42 in
the nation by Rivals.com as one of the nation's Top 100 prep players … four-year
starter at St. John Vianney High School … finished his career as the program's
all-time leader with 338 career tackles … as a junior he lead the division in
rushing and scoring with 998 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns … as a safety, he
finished his junior year with 83 tackles (49 solo) … all-county, all-conference
and all-division selections as a senior … finished his senior year with 91
tackles (53 solo), 14 tackles for a loss, six sacks and five forced fumbles …
blocked four punts and two were returned for touchdowns as a senior … rushed for
960 yards on 130 carries as a senior … also had a standout track and field
career … 110m high hurdle NJSTAA state champion … son of Chris and Eleanore
Mayo.
Greg Pratt: RB/WR, 5-8, 165, Naples, Fla./Naples HS (Troy)
Comes to Liberty from Troy University in Troy, Ala. … redshirted this
past season … graduated from Naples High School, where he was a four-year
letterwinner … starting running back for Naples state championship team in 2007
… carried the ball 126 times for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns as senior ... as
senior, caught 17 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns ... scored three
touchdowns in two different games as senior ... finished the 2007 season with
over 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns ... rushed for 1,040 yards and 13 touchdowns,
averaging 8.3 yards per carry as senior ... scored four touchdowns in the Rotary
Club Collier County All-Star Football Classic his senior year ... leading rusher
in the Class 3A state championship game ... News-Press First Team RB ... 3A FSWA
All-State third team Athlete ... ranked 25th best all-purpose back in the nation
according to Rivals.com ... Collier County Offensive Player of the Year as
junior ... son of Craig and Bernadette Pratt.
 
 
Advertisement