DeMeo's Florida connections paying off for Golden Eagles
- Release Date:Tuesday, February 10, 2009
- Dateline:Charleston, WV
If you ask Terry Parker High Coach Jim Scible whether two of his former players - quarterback Ellis McGhee and wide receiver Paul Blair - can play at the University of Charleston, you can believe his answer.
"I think they're a real good fit for his system," said Scible, who was in his first year at the Jacksonville, Fla. high school and inherited the 6-foot, 190- pound McGhee and 6-1, 175-pound Blair last season.
Scible - in his 39 years of coaching and 246-135 record - has gotten to know UC Coach Tony DeMeo - and his offense - pretty well.
"We've worked clinics for years and years so I know how he lines up and what he does," said Scible, who was 7-4 in his first year at Parker High. "We're not going out drinking a Coca-Cola together, but know pretty much the general concept of what they do on offense."
Scible ran an option offense with the Braves, allowing McGhee is throw for more than 900 yards and Blair - the grandson of former Baltimore Oriole center- fielder Paul Blair - to catch more than 450 yards in McGhee's passes.
The Braves' pass-catch combo is two of 25 recruits that the University of Charleston signed on National Signing Day.
DeMeo said it was his best recruiting year during his time in Charleston, which will lend itself toward the Golden Eagles maintaining their competitiveness and drive toward a West Virginia Conference championship.
"We really killed it," DeMeo said. "I thought we made our team a lot better."
The Golden Eagles lose only 12 players to graduation, which should help DeMeo's goal of turning all of his recruits into redshirts.
"But, I still expect all of them to compete," DeMeo said. "I want them to come in and do the best job they can. I don't play kids by seniority. I play the best players I have.
"My system is so simple, anybody can step in and play."
DeMeo's recruiting class has five states represented, with 11 players from Florida, nine players from Ohio, two from Tennessee, two from Virginia and one from South Carolina.
In four seasons at the University of Charleston, DeMeo is 28-16. His career record is 122-100-2 in 23 seasons.
University of Charleston football recruits
A look at UC's 2009 football signing class:
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School Hometown
Bode Agaja DB 5-10 160 Cleveland Hts University Heights, Ohio
Vince Ambrose DB 5-9 170 Miami Killian Miami
Luke Barker LB/DE 6-3 220 Lakota East Liberty Twsp, Ohio
Tyler Bass WR/Slot 5-9 165 Ridgeview Orange Park, Fla.
Paul Blair WR 6-1 175 Terry Parker Jacksonville, Fla.
Derek Brown RB/DB 6-1 205 Wm. Fleming Roanoke, Va.
Lucas Catlett OL 6-3 275 Caroline County Ruther Glen, Va.
George Davila OL 6-2 285 Naples Naples, Fla.
Taylor Fletcher RB 5-8 180 Sullivan South Kingsport, Tenn.
Adam Foltz OL 6-4 250 Pickerington Central Pickerington, Ohio
Ryan Foster WR 6-1 180 Colerain Cincinnati
Jeff Green LB 6-3 210 Science Hill Johnson City, Tenn.
Corey Hill RB/DB 6-0 190 Crestview Leetonia, Ohio
Antwoun Howard WR/DB 5-11 180 Leto Comprehensive Tampa, Fla.
Malon Johnson QB 5-9 170 Eastmoor Acad. Columbus, Ohio
Sam Lucas DB 6-1 175 Eastmoor Columbus, Ohio
Dylan March DL 6-4 245 Nease Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Ryan Martin WR 5-11 175 Nease St. Augustine, Fla.
Nathan Marvel WR 6-4 195 Tampa Plant Tampa, Fla.
Ellis McGhee QB 6-0 190 Terry Parker Jacksonville, Fla.
Adam Moser DL 6-1 250 Colerain Cincinnati
Puma Nuradeni PK 5-10 155 Naples Naples, Fla.
Jamal Robinson LB/DE 6-3 215 Miami Killian Miami
L'Twane Thompson LB 5-11 210 Dillon Dillon, S.C.
Justin Young WR 6-4 205 Pickerington North Pickerington, Ohio
