By Matthew Peaslee

mpeaslee@vindy.com

CANFIELD

Four the past four years Jordan Italiano and Jim Rousher have been teammates. For the next four years they’ll be rivals.

Both Italiano and Rousher of Canfield High signed letters of intent to play at schools in the Mid-American Conference. Italiano is going to Kent State to play safety, and Rousher will be a tight end at Miami (Ohio).

“It’ll be weird playing against him on the other side of the ball because we were teammates for so long,” Italiano said.

Their former coach, Mike Pavlansky, offered some advice to the pair on how to gear up playing against each other.

“Just pretend like it’s a practice on Bob Dove Field when you beat each other up,” he said.

Schedules have yet to be released for the 2012 season, but the Golden Flashes and RedHawks are both in the MAC East.

No matter the opponent, Rousher is ready to strap on the gear and play again.

“I’ve always dreamed of playing football on Saturdays,” he said.

Italiano, the fleet-footed Cardinals’ quarterback of the past two seasons, will give up his offensive duties for a full-time role in the KSU defensive secondary. As a sophomore, he played safety as his only position.

“It’s kind of a relief to just focus on one position again,” Italiano said. “I’ll probably miss playing offense a little bit. Everyone likes the ball in their hands at some point.”

Rousher was getting looks by nearly every MAC program and Indiana of the Big Ten. But, he trusted the Miami brass the most. It was an easy sell coming from coach Don Treadwell, who graduated from the school in 1982 and is a former Youngstown State assistant. Also, three assistant coaches played for the RedHawks.

“One of the main things was the coaches,” Rousher said. “They’re all fairly new and they mostly graduated from the program. They’re going to pick up Miami and take it far.”

Miami finished the 2011 campaign with a record of 4-8, while the Golden Flashes were 5-7.

During the signing ceremony in the James W. Watkins Memorial Gymnasium lobby, Pavlansky pointed out that less than one percent of high school athletes go on to play college athletics.

Canfield, with two going on to play at the FBS level, has been blessed.

“Their leadership and their performance on the field will be surely missed,” Pavlansky said.

Both Italiano and Rousher were three year letter-winners and two-time All-American Conference honorees.

Parents John and Carolyn Italiano and Jim and Debbie Rousher joined their sons at the table when they signed their intent papers.