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Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
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Do IT this week: Layering
By Jonas Fortune
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 06:42 p.m. EDT, Sep 16, 2009
The Northeastern Buckeye Conference has always been a rugged football conference.
The players are Friday night heroes with a select few able to move onto the Saturday college stage; and rarely is that the high-profile type of athlete.
Yet, with a few great touchdown catches and remarkable athleticism, Louisville senior quarterback Bobby Swigert and Canton South senior receiver Jerald Robinson are bringing plenty of attention, and recruiters, to the conference and to their game Friday night at Canton South.
The players have combined to collect more than 40 offers from Division I schools.
''We have never had offers like that,'' Louisville coach Paul Farrah said of Swigert's 25 scholarship opportunities — a surprising statement, considering Louisville is the winningest team in Stark County since 2000.
The Leopards (3-0) debuted this week as the No.1 team in the Associated Press Division II state poll.
Swigert, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound quarterback, has actually garnered most of his attention as a receiver, which he played the past two seasons. He starts at defensive back and is on most of the special teams units, too.
Swigert is special with the ball in his hands. He can cut quickly and make defenders miss. His 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash allows him to get away from those defenders, too.
''He has one of the best pair of hands we have ever had,'' Farrah said. ''You can't guard him one on one. He went to the Ohio State camp and the Notre Dame camp, and those guys couldn't even cover him. He is a competitor.''
So why was he moved to quarterback for his senior year?
''The decision was: Do we have him touch the ball eight times a game or do we have him touch the ball 55 times a game?'' Farrah said.
Swigert, who is also being recruited as a baseball player, can throw the ball — a perfect combination for Louisville's spread offense. Swigert already has six touchdown passes and 508 yards passing this season.
''Our offense fits me perfectly as a quarterback because, obviously, you have to make a lot of throws, but also I am pretty mobile,'' Swigert said. ''That is kind of my game. I run all over the place, and that is what our quarterback has to do. Our quarterback is basically a running back who can throw.''
Robinson, at 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, hasn't grabbed the area's attention like Swigert has, but he is every bit as dominant. After graduating more than 20 players from last year's team, including three-year starting quarterback Matt Trissel, Canton South (1-2) is still trying to find different ways to get Robinson the ball.
So this season, Robinson often has to fight through double and triple coverage, or outleap defenders to get the ball.
''He can jump, pretty much, over me,'' Swigert said. ''He almost picked off about five passes last year [on defense], so he has a great feel for the game and is just an awesome football player, and I have a lot of respect for him.''
Off to Michigan
Canton South, a Division III school, is one of the smallest in the conference and hasn't had as much success as the Leopards the past 10 years, but it has been able to churn out Division I college recruits as of late, a rarity in the NBC.
Defensive back Devon Torrence earned a scholarship to Ohio State, and starts for the Buckeyes. His younger brother Devoe was on his way to the Buckeyes as well, until legal trouble sidetracked him after transferring to Massillon. He now plays for the University of Akron.
''At first, I was really a Buckeye man,'' Robinson said from the coach's office at Canton South on Tuesday.
His gray and scarlet helmet is adorned with a handful of paw prints symbolizing the Wildcats. It all just made the Michigan wrist bands stand out more.
''In Ohio, that's every kid's dream, to be a Buckeye,'' Robinson said. ''So when I went [on a visit], I was more excited than anything than actually stopping and looking at the school.
''Once I actually stopped to think about it, when I was getting offers, I am just like, 'OK, well, if I break this down, I know Michigan is better than them at this and I like this at Michigan better than I like any other school.' ''
The Wolverines were the first school that offered and ended up being a perfect fit. He was offered scholarships by every Big Ten and Big East school, he said.
''When I went to Michigan, they are on a whole other level than any other colleges in this country to me, from my point of view,'' said Robinson, who likes the academic programs in sports management there, too.
Robinson took summer classes at Canton South to graduate early and be enrolled in Michigan for the spring semester. The move will be hard he said, but he is excited about getting adjusted to college and possibly starting as a freshman.
''Jerald Robinson is an underrated player,'' said Steve Hare, a recruiting specialist for Rivals.com and the publisher of OhioVarsity.com. ''He committed early and didn't hit all the combines and camps like all the kids looking for scholarships. Michigan is certainly getting a steal.''
Robinson is the No.1 receiver on OhioVarsity's top 25 state poll, Hare said. Swigert is listed as No. 3. It is clear that most schools are recruiting Swigert as an athlete.
Down to four
Will Swigert play receiver or defensive back? Three games into his tenure as quarterback, Farrah believes he could get some looks there, too.
''Our point is hopefully by the end of his senior year, hopefully people will recruit him as a quarterback,'' Farrah said. ''He is that good as a quarterback, not just as a wide out. That is one thing Michigan is looking at him as a quarterback and a wide out.''
Swigert noted that Michigan has had some interest in him playing safety.
Swigert has yet to commit, but his list has shrunk to four schools: Nebraska, Stanford, Boston College and Michigan.
''I picked those four because those are the schools that I have visited and liked most,'' he said. ''They have a great balance of academics, as well as a high level of football. That is the main thing I am looking for.''
Jonas Fortune can be reached at jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Varsity Letters high school sports blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ABJ_Preps.
The Northeastern Buckeye Conference has always been a rugged football conference.
The players are Friday night heroes with a select few able to move onto the Saturday college stage; and rarely is that the high-profile type of athlete.
Yet, with a few great touchdown catches and remarkable athleticism, Louisville senior quarterback Bobby Swigert and Canton South senior receiver Jerald Robinson are bringing plenty of attention, and recruiters, to the conference and to their game Friday night at Canton South.
The players have combined to collect more than 40 offers from Division I schools.
''We have never had offers like that,'' Louisville coach Paul Farrah said of Swigert's 25 scholarship opportunities — a surprising statement, considering Louisville is the winningest team in Stark County since 2000.
The Leopards (3-0) debuted this week as the No.1 team in the Associated Press Division II state poll.
Swigert, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound quarterback, has actually garnered most of his attention as a receiver, which he played the past two seasons. He starts at defensive back and is on most of the special teams units, too.
Swigert is special with the ball in his hands. He can cut quickly and make defenders miss. His 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash allows him to get away from those defenders, too.
''He has one of the best pair of hands we have ever had,'' Farrah said. ''You can't guard him one on one. He went to the Ohio State camp and the Notre Dame camp, and those guys couldn't even cover him. He is a competitor.''
So why was he moved to quarterback for his senior year?
''The decision was: Do we have him touch the ball eight times a game or do we have him touch the ball 55 times a game?'' Farrah said.
Swigert, who is also being recruited as a baseball player, can throw the ball — a perfect combination for Louisville's spread offense. Swigert already has six touchdown passes and 508 yards passing this season.
''Our offense fits me perfectly as a quarterback because, obviously, you have to make a lot of throws, but also I am pretty mobile,'' Swigert said. ''That is kind of my game. I run all over the place, and that is what our quarterback has to do. Our quarterback is basically a running back who can throw.''
Robinson, at 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, hasn't grabbed the area's attention like Swigert has, but he is every bit as dominant. After graduating more than 20 players from last year's team, including three-year starting quarterback Matt Trissel, Canton South (1-2) is still trying to find different ways to get Robinson the ball.
So this season, Robinson often has to fight through double and triple coverage, or outleap defenders to get the ball.
''He can jump, pretty much, over me,'' Swigert said. ''He almost picked off about five passes last year [on defense], so he has a great feel for the game and is just an awesome football player, and I have a lot of respect for him.''
Off to Michigan
Canton South, a Division III school, is one of the smallest in the conference and hasn't had as much success as the Leopards the past 10 years, but it has been able to churn out Division I college recruits as of late, a rarity in the NBC.
Defensive back Devon Torrence earned a scholarship to Ohio State, and starts for the Buckeyes. His younger brother Devoe was on his way to the Buckeyes as well, until legal trouble sidetracked him after transferring to Massillon. He now plays for the University of Akron.
''At first, I was really a Buckeye man,'' Robinson said from the coach's office at Canton South on Tuesday.
His gray and scarlet helmet is adorned with a handful of paw prints symbolizing the Wildcats. It all just made the Michigan wrist bands stand out more.
''In Ohio, that's every kid's dream, to be a Buckeye,'' Robinson said. ''So when I went [on a visit], I was more excited than anything than actually stopping and looking at the school.
''Once I actually stopped to think about it, when I was getting offers, I am just like, 'OK, well, if I break this down, I know Michigan is better than them at this and I like this at Michigan better than I like any other school.' ''
The Wolverines were the first school that offered and ended up being a perfect fit. He was offered scholarships by every Big Ten and Big East school, he said.
''When I went to Michigan, they are on a whole other level than any other colleges in this country to me, from my point of view,'' said Robinson, who likes the academic programs in sports management there, too.
Robinson took summer classes at Canton South to graduate early and be enrolled in Michigan for the spring semester. The move will be hard he said, but he is excited about getting adjusted to college and possibly starting as a freshman.
''Jerald Robinson is an underrated player,'' said Steve Hare, a recruiting specialist for Rivals.com and the publisher of OhioVarsity.com. ''He committed early and didn't hit all the combines and camps like all the kids looking for scholarships. Michigan is certainly getting a steal.''
Robinson is the No.1 receiver on OhioVarsity's top 25 state poll, Hare said. Swigert is listed as No. 3. It is clear that most schools are recruiting Swigert as an athlete.
Down to four
Will Swigert play receiver or defensive back? Three games into his tenure as quarterback, Farrah believes he could get some looks there, too.
''Our point is hopefully by the end of his senior year, hopefully people will recruit him as a quarterback,'' Farrah said. ''He is that good as a quarterback, not just as a wide out. That is one thing Michigan is looking at him as a quarterback and a wide out.''
Swigert noted that Michigan has had some interest in him playing safety.
Swigert has yet to commit, but his list has shrunk to four schools: Nebraska, Stanford, Boston College and Michigan.
''I picked those four because those are the schools that I have visited and liked most,'' he said. ''They have a great balance of academics, as well as a high level of football. That is the main thing I am looking for.''
Jonas Fortune can be reached at jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Varsity Letters high school sports blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ABJ_Preps.
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