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Valley athletes commit on National Signing Day
Gallery
By Brian Dzenis
WARREN
A last-second sales pitch from the state’s flagship football program couldn’t sway Lynn Bowden.
The Warren Harding quarterback verbally committed to Kentucky in mid-January and kept that promise, putting pen to paper Wednesday on National Signing Day.
Bowden dismissed Ohio State’s late offer with the same ease he dismissed Mahoning Valley defenders.
“Ohio State came in really late, but I was already 100-percent committed and there was no changing my mind,” Bowden said. “If you didn’t come and get me in the first place, why wait until the last second?”
Bowden initially committed to Indiana before de-committing from the Hoosiers last April. He went with the school that had local ties and was after him early in his high school career.
The Wildcats head coach is Cardinal Mooney alum Mark Stoops and the assistant coach that led the push to get Bowden is Youngstown native Vince Marrow.
“They have a Youngstown-based coaching staff,” Bowden said. “They know the type of background I come from and the place I come from. It’ll be a good chemistry bump.”
In his school’s library, Bowden thanked his family and his teammates from both Harding and Liberty —the school he transferred from after his sophomore season. He was the Valley’s marquee football player this year, being named a District Player of the Year and was the Vindicator’s Offensive Player of the Year. He was the runner-up for Mr. Football, the title for the best high school football player in the state.
Including Bowden, the Raiders had nine players filling out their signature on Wednesday. Coach Steve Arnold said it was “unprecedented.”
“We did a good job this year of leading each other, pushing each other toward this,” said wide reciever Marlin Richardson, who signed with Findlay. “It’s very good to see nine of us actually signing and going to college.”
The Raiders commits are Elijah Burd (Ashland), Geno Gonzalez (Charleston), Tavon Hooks (Notre Dame College), Taj Harper (Wayne State), Naz Battee-Diggs (Youngstown State), Thad McCullough (Notre Dame College) and Marco Vogle (West Liberty).
“It was a grind for all of us,” Battee Diggs said. “If anyone was down, we picked them up and showed them the route we needed to take and as a team we did it together.”
STRUTHERS
To Wildcats coach Curt Kuntz, A.J. Musolino isn’t just a Division I commit to Kent State, he helped put the spotlight on the program so that others can be looked at by college football coaches.
Kuntz said Musolino —the Wildcats quarterback and safety— attracted the interest of nearly every team east of the Mississippi and along the way, his other teammates got noticed.
That’s how offensive lineman Adam Sedzmak signed with Robert Morris on Wednesday despite just two years high school football experience. Musolino wouldn’t take too much credit for it.
“It’s really been all [Kuntz]. He spent countless hours sending our film out and he’s done a great job,” Musolino said. “He’s an awesome head coach. Any player is lucky to have him.”
Musolino and Kuntz pestered the 6-foot-5, 305-pound kid who was more interested in golf and basketball for two years to get him to strap on pads and a helmet.
“I came out to be part of a team that could make it to the playoffs and do something successful,” Sedzmak said. “Without A.J. I don’t think I’d be in the position I’m in.”
Kuntz said the residual effects of Musolino’s career are ongoing, sophomore running back Willie Mitchell is already fielding offers and he expects three to four more Wildcats signing their National Letters of Intent in future years.
“A.J. and I just kind of set the ground work for the younger kids in our freshman class, which is really talented,” Sedzmak said. “It’s really opened the door and Struthers football is on the map again.”
URSULINE
The Irish’ Jeff Marx and Dakota Hobbs have played together since middle school ball at North Catholic, but now they part ways.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Hobbs said. “Not because there’s any bad times, but you’re leaving each other and now we get to test our talent at the next level and see what we can do.”
Marx, a two-way lineman, signed with Navy, while Hobbs is going to Malone.
“It’s been a dream since I was 8 years old,” Marx said. “I saw a kid on ESPNU sign and I told my dad that’s something I want to do one day.”
Marx initially wasn’t looking to join the service.
“The Naval Academy felt like home. The coaches felt like family. There’s a big support system with the brotherhood and I just love their whole concept of their program,” Marx said. “I got introduced to it last year when a coach started recruiting me in the spring. I started doing my research and thought it would be something for me.”
The pair was joined by teammate Spencer Warren, who chose Wheaton. The fullback and linebacker made his decision the weekend before signing.
“It definitely weighed on me a lot. I prayed about it,” Warren said. “I talked with my family about it and I just thought it was the best fit for me.”
Dawalyn Washington and Daylen Harris are both going to Heidelberg, but were not present at the high school because they were at the Tiffin-based university, coach Larry Kempe said.
howland
Two Howland athletes had to overcome some serious hurdles to make it to signing day.
Victor Williams, who signed with Toledo’s football team, had to bounce back from ACL surgery on his knee his junior year.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for over a year,” Williams said. “[I loved] the people within the program. A lot of other schools fell off on me after my ACL surgery, but they stuck with me.”
His Tiger teammate, Tyriq Ellis, committed to Malone after having to transfer from Fitch after his freshman year.
“I had to find a different school and it looked like I was going to have to attend East, but Howland gave me a chance and this is where I am,” he said. “I was coming home from the gym and my dad had orange and black balloons on the table and I was confused but then he played me this voicemail saying I could be a Tiger and ever since I’ve been rolling.”
Ellis had 13 scholarship offers and said it took quite an effort to narrow it down to one school.
“I just had to go with my heart,” Ellis said. “My heart told me Malone. I slept on it and woke up and was like, ‘This is where I want to go.’”
CARDINAL MOONEY
Years ago, Lizzie Philibin fell in love with soccer.
“I started playing when I was 5, so I was really young,” the Mooney senior said. “When I probably was [10], I knew that was the sport I wanted to play.
Her love for Michigan goes back further as her mother, Anita, grew up near Frankenmuth, Mich., and her family makes regular visits.
So her decision to sign with the University of Michigan was not exactly a shocker.
“I’ve wanted to go to Michigan since I was little,” Philibin said. “I’ve been to [Michigan] football games.”
Her official visit to Ann Arbor went better than expected.
“It was the atmosphere and how I clicked with it,” said Philibin who also considered Michigan State, Miami and Bucknell. “I just fell in love with [Michigan] all over again. I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”
She plans to major in sports management, saying she’d enjoy working for a professional team like the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Patrick Pelini said academics is the main reason he decided to walk on at Notre Dame rather accept a scholarship from another Division I program. Among the schools showing interest were North Dakota State and Illinois State.
And Youngstown State, where is father, Bo, is the head coach. Had Patrick picked the Penguins, he would not have cost YSU a full scholarship because employees’ children receive free tuition.
Pelini said choosing the school in South Bend, Ind., wasn’t easy even though “the program there is the best in the country. The degree carries an unbelievable amount of weight. I’m happy to be part of [Notre Dame] — it’s an honor.”
He said majoring in business is a possibility, but he’s undecided. He said keeping up in the classroom with present challenges “but it will keep me on my toes. I feel that it’s going to be worth it.”
A two-way player for the Cardinals, Pelini will be a safety for the Irish.
Charles Grove and Tom Williams contributed to this story.