Since 1984, DeMatha Coach Bill McGregor has held gym workouts every Tuesday and Thursday for college recruiters to see his players.
By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.comAt this point last year, DeMatha had quite an experienced group of seniors returning and just one player committed to play in college – running back Rodney McLeod, who went to Virginia.
This year, the Stags have a far less experienced squad and already three players verbally committed.
Offensive lineman Pete DeSouza was the first, agreeing to play up the street from the Hyattsville campus at the University of Maryland. Then early last week, linebacker Raheem Cardwell verballed to Syracuse and quarterback Tommy Chroniger said he would attend Eastern Michigan.
“You never know,” said DeMatha coach Bill McGregor, who sent 13 players to Division I schools last year. “So much with scholarships is beauty in the eye of a beholder. You see a kid and you really want that kid. It’s kind of ironic.”
McGregor thought the only reason for more early commitments could be that his players performed well in offseason workouts. Ever since 1984, McGregor has held workouts every Tuesday and Thursday at DeMatha from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. The players go through several running and agility drills for college coaches. McGregor said some days he has as many as 14 college coaches attend.
“It just gives these coaches another chance to see these kids run and move,” McGregor said. “I really like where we are. It puts us in good shape. Every year we try to get 10 or more [college recruits]. To get 3 right now, it allows me to put our efforts towards other kids. It makes my job a lot easier.”
Chroniger, who passed for more than 1,500 yards last year as DeMatha’s starting quarterback, turned down offers from Akron, Buffalo and Delaware. Chroniger enters the season as one of Maryland’s top quarterbacks and can make just about any throw on the field and can run the ball efficiently as well.
“They were the first one to make the offer,” McGregor said of Eastern Michigan, who also got St. John’s offensive lineman recruit Korey Neal. “He went up to their camp and they really liked him. They held through to their word. The opportunity to play is good. The competition (Mid-American Conference [MAC]) is good. The education is good. It’s a good scholarship.”
The 6-foot-7, 310-pound DeSouza had offers from Akron, Boston College, Delaware and Syracuse and McGregor felt he could have been a national recruit had he held out longer.
“He probably had nine [offers],” McGregor said. “He could have had 25. I think the longer Pete waited the more opportunities he would have had. But I think Maryland is a great fit for Pete. It’s a great school nearby with a good program and good education. It’s hard to turn down.”
Cardwell, a 6-foot-2 linebacker who had 60 tackles and six sacks for DeMatha last year, chose Syracuse over East Carolina. Others, including Penn State, Illinois and Rutgers expressed interest.