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February 6, 2008

URI football: 20 signees, 3 transfers

By MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer

University of Rhode Island football coach Darren Rizzi has signed 20 high-school players to a National Letter of Intent and welcomed two transfer students who are already enrolled and taking classes. He will welcome a graduate student from Rutgers in the fall.

Two Rhode Islanders, offensive lineman Matt Greenhalgh of Chepachet and Ponaganset and cornerback Ronald Woodley of East Providence, are among the schoolboy signees.

Rizzi, who has been on the job fulltime for a month, recruited two quarterbacks, two running backs, two tight ends, three wide receivers, five offensive linemen and a kicker for the offense and three linebackers, three linemen and two backs for the defense.

The incoming Rams include QB Kyle Elliot, a 6-3, 215-pounder who passed for 1,327 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 841 yards and 11 touchdowns for Cresskill (N.J.) High last season, and QB Marc Lucarini, 6-2, 200, who passed for 1,582 yards and 18 TDs for Camden (N.J.) Catholic. The running backs are Matt Kolojejchick of Plymouth, Pa., who rushed for 2,295 yards and 34 touchdowns, school records at Wyoming Valley West, and Ryan Lawrence of Bloomfield, N.J., who rushed for 1,200 yards and caught 20 passes.

The wide receivers are Devon Dace of St. Louis, who caught 31 passes for 239 yards and 3 TDs, and Brandon Johnson-Farrell of Odenton, Md., a 5-10, 180-pound receiver whose 103 receptions for 1,394 yards and 25 touchdowns broke records at Arundel High. The tight ends are Kyle Bogumil, 6-6, 240, of Mountain Top, Pa., who caught 32 passes for 462 yards anf 4 touchdowns and was second-team All-State, and Joe Migliarese, 6-4, 215, of Blue Bell, Pa., who caught 91 passes for 1,063 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career. The kicker is Louis Feinstein of Irvine, Calif., who was 79-86 in PATS the last three years.

Offensive linemen in addition to Geenhalgh include Jason Foster, 6-4, 270, of East Pittsford, Vt., and Bridgton Academy, and Michael Gross of North Arlington, N.J.

Defensive players include linemen John Kilpatrick, 6-4, 260, of Clarks Summit, Pa., who can also play tight end, Josh Previte, 6-1, 290, of Brockton, Mass., and Matt Rae, 6-4, 240, of York, Pa.; linebackers Matt Sheard, 6-2, 230, of Mt. Laurel, N.J., James Taylor of Westwood, N.J., and Phil Morman of Cresskill, N.J., safety Robert Walker of New Haven, and Woodley.

The two players already taking classes are wide receiver Ty Bynum, 6-2, 195, of Lancaster, Pa., and Milford Academy, a two-time first-team All-State selection who set a league career receiving yards record with 2,327 and who leads the current Rams with a 37-inch vertical leap, and offensive lineman Michael Farr, 6-3, 310, of Conrwall on Hudson, N.J., who helped Don Bosco Prep to a No. 7 national ranking in 2006 and who played for Navy Prep in 2007.

Chenry Lewis, 6-1, 230, of Paterson, N.J., will graduate from Rutgers in the spring and begin graduate studies at URI in September. He played defensive end and linebacker for the Scarlet Knights for three years and has one year of eligibility remaining.

"The amount of talent we were able to get in a short amount of time surprised me. The majority will be able to contribute and have an impact right away," Rizzi said.

Posted by Mike Szostak  at 3:02 PM to College Sports | Permalink

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