Jan 27, 2015 6 min read

Peters Township senior Cory Owen embraced the process of being a highly recruited Division I football prospect. Dozens of coaches visited the high school to meet him with aspirations of using Owen’s athletic ability to better their programs.

His recruitment came to an end Dec. 1 when Owen committed to play for New Hampshire next fall. It was an important moment for him and his family. But even after contacting the Wildcats’ coaches, something did not feel right.

Owen loved New Hampshire’s campus, the coaching staff, the players and the academics, but his heart was with James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. That feeling led him to change his commitment.

After another official visit at JMU, meeting the Dukes’ coaching staff and touring the facilities, Owen committed to James Madison and will sign his letter of intent next Wednesday.

Albany, Buffalo and Toledo also were considered.

“It was really a heartfelt decision, and I had to go with my heart,” Owen said. “James Madison’s staff made me feel comfortable with making the decision. I really feel like it was the right one to make. I’m headed in the right direction, and I’m excited for the future.”

After informing James Madison of his intentions, Owen had to call New Hampshire’s coaches to tell them the news.

“It was tough. You gain relationships with these coaches and when I committed, it was a great moment for me and my family,” Owen said. “It was a tough call to have to make, but it had to be done. They understood.”

The Dukes, who play in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision’s Colonial Athletic Conference, gained a 6-2 athlete who runs a 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, has a 35-inch vertical jump and a 10-1 broad jump.

A four-year starter who led the Indians to the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs three times, Owen passed for 1,212 yards and six touchdowns as a senior, and rushed for 515 yards and seven scores. He finished his career with more than 4,000 total yards and ranks among the top three in school history in rushing yards, passing yards and scoring.

He is expected to get a chance to play quarterback, but Owen is ready to use his athletic ability wherever it is needed. Peters Township head coach Rich Piccinini was pleased how Owen handled the “life-changing” decision.

“I think his heart was with James Madison the whole time,” Piccinini said. “It was tough for him. Cory is very loyal. Every time we spoke about the process, James Madison always came up. It’s a huge decision to make and he had to feel comfortable with it. He loves the place, and I’m proud of the way he handled the process.”

Seniors James Duchi and Ryan Stienstraw were forces on offense and defense for McGuffey last fall, leading the Highlanders to their first WPIAL playoff appearance since 2009.

Both will continue their playing careers at the NCAA Division II level next fall. Duchi committed to Alderson Broaddus and Stienstraw will play at California University.

Duchi, a first team selection on the Observer-Reporter All-District Football Team after an exceptional season as running back and safety, rushed for 1,378 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall. He also caught three touchdowns and eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark for his career. He chose the Battlers over Cal, Clarion, West Liberty and Seton Hill.

Stienstraw, a 6-3, 248-pound two-way starter on the line, chose the Vulcans over West Liberty and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Stienstraw had 40 tackles, 17 for a loss, three fumble recoveries and one touchdown as a senior.

“They fit the requirements to advance their careers,” McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton said. “They both love to train. You don’t have to find them in the weight room. They are always there. They have the speed and agility, and they are going to develop. They have great God-given, physical talents that will develop even further at the next level.”

Ringgold senior Nico Law, a two-time first team selection on the Observer-Reporter All-District Team, will join his brother, Quad, at Gannon University in the PSAC.

He chose the Golden Knights over Division I offers from James Madison and Ohio University, and other Division II programs.

After rushing and passing for 1,000 yards as a junior, Law completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,227 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2014 to lead the Rams to the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals. He rushed for 802 yard and 10 touchdowns, and was playmaker in his first year playing safety on defense.

Ringgold head coach Nick Milchovich, who replaced Matt Humbert, was impressed with Law’s demeanor during their season together.

“Coming into a situation where you inherit a senior quarterback who had a very close relationship with his head coach, Nico could have made life tough on me, but he didn’t,” Milchovich said. “He accepted me and my staff and was team-first. His numbers dipped a bit because we were a running team. Some kids couldn’t handle that, but he was happy with winning. He’ll be very successful at Gannon.”

The Ringgold School Board approved the hiring of Ashley Davis as the high school’s new varsity girls soccer coach early last month.

Davis, a graduate of Norwin High School and Robert Morris University, has served as head coach at Penn State Greater Allegheny, Century United Soccer Club and was an assistant for the boys team at Greensburg Central Catholic last fall.

California hired Rob Miele as its varsity boys soccer coach at last week’s school board meeting. Miele was an assistant for the girls team at Belle Vernon last fall and inherits a program that finished with a 5-10 overall record.

Washington High School junior lineman Khalid Blount received his first Division I football scholarship offer from Robert Morris last week.

Blount, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Blount, is a 6-1, 280-pound lineman for the Prexies and a standout on both sides of the football.

The WPIAL Basketball Tournament Pairings Meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.

The playoff brackets will be announced at the meeting, including pigtail games, which could be played as early as Feb. 12.