Pitt coach recruits hard
By Alan Robinson
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP)
coach Dave Wannstedt appar
ently wasn't kidding when he
promised to refocus Pitt's recruit
ing on its traditional strength, its
western Pennsylvania backyard.
With recruiting effectively over
except for the traditional flurry of
last-minute activity on national
letter of intent day Wednesday,
Pitt expects to increase its
Pittsburgh-area high school foot
ball signings from six a year ago
to 10.
The Pittsburgh area no longer
turns out the quantity or, for the
most part, the quality of player it
did in the days of Tony Dorsett,
Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Joe
Namath or Bill Fralic. But Pitt
missed out on so many good
local players during coach Walt
Harris' eight-year stay that
Wannstedt has spent consider
able time in local high schools
since his Christmas-week hiring.
Wannstedt even visited some
schools that lack top recruits this
year, if only to prove Pitt's
recommitment to the area.
"In the NFL, you're recruiting 12
months a year - talking to free
agents, selling yourself and your
program," said Wannstedt, the
former Dolphins and Bears
coach. "I know the importance of
recruiting. One of my strengths
will be communicating with the
high school coaches. The coach
es around here are outstanding,
and they want to feel like they're
a part of this."
Wannstedt's desire to rebuild
Pitt's local recruiting base paid
off last weekend with commit
ments from Seton-La Salle all
state quarterback Bill Stull and
Monessen fullback-linebacker
Ernest "Mice Williams.
The Panthers' basketball win
Saturday night over then-No. 4
Syracuse didn't hurt, either. Both
players liked the intensity and
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atmosphere at the game, and
each committed almost immedi
ately afterward.
Stull initially committed to
Kentucky, but changed his mind
after the assistant recruiting him
there, Paul Dunn, joined
Wannstedt's staff. Stull did
something that even former
western Pennsylvania star quar
terbacks Namath, Marino, Jim
Kelly, Johnny Unitas and Marc
Bulger didn't do: throw for 3,000
yards in a high school season.
- New
Stun is considered the nation's
11th best pro-style quarterback
by the Rivals.com recruiting
service, but wasn't recruited by
Harris.
Williams, an all-stater who also
"I know the impor
tance of recruiting.
One of my strengths
will be communicat
ing with the high
school coaches. The
coaches around
here are outstand
ing, and they want to
feel like they're a
part of this."
- Dave Wannstedt
considered West Virginia and
lowa, is regarded as the No. 8
fullback nationally by
Rivals.com, but was recruited by
Pitt as a linebacker. He is listed
at 245 pounds but may weigh
closer to 270, though he said he
plans to drop weight.
Since being hired five weeks
ago, Wannstedt has landed four
other local recruits: West
Allegheny defensive lineman
C.J. Davis, Duquesne running
back Shane Brooks, and quar
terback-defensive back Shane
Murray and all-state tight end
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John Pelusi from Pennsylvania
Class AAAA champion
Pittsburgh Central Catholic -
Marino's alma mater.
Pelusi is the son of John Pelusi,
who played on Pitt's 1976
national championship team.
Pelusi also considered Stanford,
where Harris now coaches;
Boston College; Northwestern;
and Connecticut.
Not all of Wannstedt's recruiting
efforts were focused on
Pittsburgh. He also went back to
Miami to get commitments from
No. 3-rated fullback Conredge
Collins of Monsignor Pace High,
tight end-defensive lineman Gus
Matakas of Chaminade-
Madonna High and lineman
Tommy Duhart of Glades Central
High. The 5-foot-11, 225-pound
Collins is the son of former
Patriots running back Tony
Collins and also had offers from
Miami, Florida State and Ohio
State.
Before Wannstedt arrived, Pitt
missed out on the Pittsburgh
area's most-recruited player,
Gateway's Jason King - a Penn
State signee considered the
nation's top cornerback recruit.
With all commitments nonbind
ing until signing day Wednesday,
Pitt also has commitments from:
Offensive lineman John
Bachman, Moon High,
Coraopolis; running back Irvan
Brown, Central Square, N.Y.;
wide receiver Tommie Campbell,
Aliquippa; defensive lineman
Rashad Duncan, Belle Glade,
Fla.; linebacker Doug Fulmer,
Syracuse, N.Y.; offensive line
man Kevin Hughes, Allendale,
N.J.; defensive tackle Derrell
Jones, Waldorf, Md.; defensive
end Gus Mustakas, Hollywood,
Fla.; wide receiver Shawn
Simmons, New Brunswick, N.J.;
running back Laßod Stephens,
Johnstown; defensive tackle
Marlon Terry, Akron; wide receiv
er Oderick Turner, Teaneck, N.J.;
and defensive back Bryan
Williams, Akron.
Sports
Dave Wannstedt, former Dolphins and Bears coach, has a desire to rebuild Pitt's local recruiting base to
prove Pitt's recommitment to the area.
Baseball season winds up
Boston Red Sox open new
season as defending
champions
By Herb Smith
Staff Reporter
hjsl3s@psu.edu
Pitchers and catchers are mak
ing their way to Florida and
Arizona, a sure-fire sign that
baseball is just around the cor
ner. The new season is set to
begin April 3, and for the first
time in 86 years, the Boston Red
Sox will open the season as
defending champions. Four
short months ago, the Red Sox
laughed in the face of the Babe
and his curse and walked home
with the title, leaving the New
York Yankees to wonder when
exactly hell froze over.
The Yankees, who have
become accustomed to winning
and won't stand for finishing in
second place, spent their off
season trying to close holes in
their team with high hopes of
making another run for their 27th
World Series crown. Their big
prize during the off season was
landing Randy Johnson. The 40-
year-old flame-throwing south
paw has shown he can still bring
the heat, even in the twilight of
his career.
Other new additions joining
Johnson in Yankee stripes are
Carl Pavano and Jared Wright.
Pitching was a weakness of the
Yanks last season and they
have made strides towards solv
ing that problem. Also, the
'Bronx Bombers' brought back
home two familiar faces, Mike
Stanton and Tino Martinez, two
players who were big parts of
the World Series Championship
teams in the late 90s.
Of course, no matter how hard
they might try, the Yankees can
not sign everyone. The hot com
modity teams scrambled to get
this time was Carlos Beltran.
Beltran made a big splash dur
ing the playoffs last season, and
several teams made a play at
signing him, including the
Yankees. However, Beltran
ended up across town from the
Bronx in Flushing, Queens and
will man centerfield for the New
York Mets.
The Mets made the most noise
this off season and spent the
most money. Beltran almost
overshadowed the signing of for
mer Red Sox ace Pedro
Martinez. Martinez left
Beantown after winning a title for
the big money in the Big Apple.
Mets! general manager, Omar
Minaya, promised a competitive
team this year and is backing up
his words with dollar signs.
Minaya has his ace in Martinez,
has Beltran in the middle of the
lineup, and he may not be done
yet. The Mets are making a big
run at free agent first baseman
Carlos Delgado. Delgado brings
a .300 average and 40 home
201 Vain) Blvd Collea°. PA 16803 • Phone: 814.2384099
The Capital Times, February 7, 2005
The Yankees added Randy Johnson as another "stripe." Johnson
has shown that he can still bring the heat, as he gears up for the
new season.
Photo courtesy of www.wsvn.com
runs a season; adding him to the
lineup should make the Mets a
contender right away.
Despite threats of another
retirement, Roger Clemens will
be on the mound for the Astros
at least one more season; all it
cost Houston was $lB million.
Clemens is now the highest paid
pitcher in the history of baseball,
but he has more Cy Young
awards then any other pitcher;
so if any pitcher is worth that
much money, it would be the
'Rocket.'
This baseball off season was
tame in comparison to some oth
ers, but several big names did
change uniforms and those 'new
faces in new places' should
have an impact on the teams
that are left standing in October.
Look for more major
league baseball cover
age in future issues of
The Capital Times.
Photo courtesy of www.newyork.yankees.mlb.com