ATHOLTON'S KELECHI ODOCHA HEADED FOR WEST POINT

Atholton's Kelechi Odocha, a compact, 5-foot-8, 180-pound running back who led the Raiders to a berth in the Class 3A East Region playoffs, will sign a national letter of intent on Wednesday with West Point, where he will play football and likely major in mechanical engineering.

High school seniors may sign national letters of intent accepting athletic scholarships from NCAA institutions during the early signing period, which begins on Wednesday and lasts through April 1 for football, boys and girls soccer and field hockey.

"There's a sigh of relief to know where you're going before a lot of other kids know. This is setting me up for the rest of my life," said Odocha, a B-average student who led Howard County as well as the state in rushing throughout much of the season.

"Eventually, I want to fly helicopters, and if not that, then military intelligence," Odocha said. "I'm probably still going to major in mechanical engineering."

Odocha, who runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash,  averaged 182 yards per game, scored 19 touchdowns and finished the year with
2,022 rushing yards.

Also signing from Atholton is fullback-linebacker Brian Nance, who was recruited as a fullback to Virginia State.

"I'm really excited," said Nance, who is a county and regional champion wrestler for the Raiders.

"Their football coaches say that anybody who wrestles, they already know that I'm a tough kid," said Nance,  who competes on the mat at 285 pounds, but weighs between 215-and-220 pounds most of the time.

"I'm sure they want me to gaine some weight," Nance said. "So after wrestling season, I'm going to start training real hard and lifting to be ready for my freshman year."

DigitalSports lists all of the athletes who are committing to schools for sports whose early signing period has been designated for February through April, regardless of whether or not the institution is division I, II or III, or whether or not it offers athletic scholarships.

Many division I and division II schools participate in the signing of national letters of  intent.

However,  America's service academies, such as Navy and West Point, and Ivy League Schools, such as Princeton, and Harvard, do not offer scholarships or participate in the practice.

Some Patriot League schools also do not participate in the early signing program.

The early signing periods in track and field and for cross country have been eliminated, and water polo also no longer has an early signing period, according to www.national-letter.org.



Football early signees or committments

Atholton: Brian Nance, Virginia State
                Kelechi Odocha, West Point
               

Arundel: Nick Elko, Delaware State
             Brandon Johnson-Farrell, Rhode Island

 
Archbishop Curley: Jerome Junior, UCONN

Archbishop Spalding: Jim Thomas, Holy Cross
                                 Adam James, Salisbury
                                 Brandon Matter, Wesley College
                                 Pat Mangum, SUNY Maritime
                                 Kellin Morris, SUNY Maritime

 

Calvert Hall: Pat Boyle, Temple
                   Sean Boyle, Temple


DeMatha: Kenny Tate, Maryland

Dunbar: Richard Chavis, Lincoln University, Pa.
           Kenyon Kinnard, Johnson C. Smith
           Terrell Lewis, Lincoln University, Pa.        
           Matthew Odezugo, Johnson C. Smith              
           Keon Redhead, Bowie
           Malcolm Speller, Bowie
           

Edmondson: Nick Speller, Syracuse

Forestville:  Kevin Dorsey, Maryland

Friendly:  Josh Haden, Boston College
              Lamar Thomas, Ohio State

Gilman: Rick Bowie, Dickinson
            Chris Burnett, Old Dominion
            Joey Ehrmann, Wake Forest
            Nick Malinow, Franklin & Marshall
            Kadeem Rodgers, Dickinson
            Jake Tunney, Washington & Lee


Good Counsel: Corey Boatman, Syracuse
                      Mickey DeLima, New Hampshire
                      Bryan Murray, Boston College

Hammond: Kenyatta Drake, Lehigh


Hereford: Lonnie Liggins, West Point

Loyola: Tim Bolt, Bucknell
           Kyle Stupi, Columbia

McDonogh: Lane Clelland, Notre Dame

Mount St. Joseph: Kevin Fitzpatrick, Marist
                          Nick Hutcherson, University at Albany, N.Y.

Poly: Lee Reynolds, James Madison

St. Paul's: Brian Taaffe, Fordham

Surrattsville: Davin Meggett, Maryland

Wilde Lake: Cody Blue, Maryland






Signing Dates for the 2008-2009 Academic Year

Do not sign prior to 7:00 a.m. (local time) on the following
dates or after the final signing date listed for each sport.

Sport Initial Signing Date Final Signing Date Basketball (Early Period) November 14, 2007 November 21, 2007 Basketball (Regular Period) April 16, 2008 May 21, 2008 Football (Midyear JC Transfer) December 19, 2007 January 15, 2008 Football (Regular Period) February 6, 2008 April 1, 2008 Field Hockey, Soccer, Track and Field/Cross Country, Men's Water Polo* February 6, 2008 August 1, 2008 All Other Sports(Early Period) November 14, 2007 November 21, 2007 All Other Sports(Regular Period) April 9, 2008 August 1, 2008