Feb. 7, 2007
Slippery Rock, Pa. -
Eight high school football standouts signed NCAA Division II national letters of intent Wednesday with Slippery Rock University, Rock head coach Dr. George Mihalik announced.
The newest members of The Rock program include the Delaware state leader in rushing yards per carry each of the past two seasons, Caravel Academy's Leo Cheaton (5-foot-8, 165 pounds); four players from the Pittsburgh area; two from Ohio and one from Harrisburg.
The quartet from Pittsburgh includes defensive lineman Scott Kachurik (6-3, 250) from Plum High School, offensive lineman Dan Perz (6-4, 275) from Mount Lebanon High School, linebacker Zach Sheridan (6-2, 215) from Seton-LaSalle High School and defensive back Brandon Watters (6-0, 180) from Woodland Hills High School.
Two of The Rock's other new recruits hail from the State of Ohio: tight end Jordan Frank (6-2, 230) from Avon Lake and offensive lineman A.J. Hopp (6-4, 260) from Akron Archbishop Hoban.
Rounding out the eight student-athletes who signed with SRU on Wednesday is running back Sayquan Mitchell-Scott (5-9, 190) from Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg.
Rock head coach Dr. George Mihalik and recruiting coordinator/defensive backs coach Rob Keys anticipates the formal receipt of commitments from additional recruits in the next few days.
Cheaton, who helped Caravel Academy claim three successive state runner-up honors, averaged 12.7 yards per carry as a junior and 13.4 yards per carry as a senior. He rushed for 1,187 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2006 and for 1240 yards in 2005. He garnered second-team all-state honors and earned a spot in the state's Blue/Gold All-Star Game. He lettered four seasons each in football, basketball and track and field.
Frank has been invited to play in the Ohio North/South All-Star Game after he earned special mention All-Ohio status and received the Lorain County "Most Valuable Defensive Lineman Award" as a senior.
Frank was also named to the Associated Press' Northeast Lakes All-District first team and first-team All-Lorain County honors as a defensive end, as well as Southwest All-Conference honors as a tight end and in 2006.
A two-year starter and two-year letterwinner, Frank was selected as his team's MVP and Most Valuable Defensive Lineman in his final scholastic season. As a junior, he helped lead the Shoremen to a regional runner-up finish.
Hopp earned first-team All-Akron City and all-conference honors as a senior, as well as honorable mention all-district status. A two-year letterwinner at Hoban, he was nominated to play in the Ohio North/South All-Star Game.
Kachurik garnered first-team All-Quad East, first-team Valley Dispatch and first-team East Elite honors as a senior. He recorded 62 tackles and three quarterback sacks in his final scholastic season.
Mitchell-Scott rushed for 800 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior and 1,000 yards and 10 TDs as a senior at Central Dauphin East. He received first-team Mid-Penn Conference honors and was selected as his team's MVP in 2006.
Perz, a two-year letterwinner at Mount Lebanon, earned first-team All-Quad South honors as a senior and played in the Pittsburgh Area All-Star Game. He earned three letters as a shot put and discus specialist in track and field and two letters as an offensive lineman in football.
Sheridan earned first-team All-Century Conference and first-team All-Pittsburgh Almanac honors and played in the Pittsburgh Area All-Star Game. A multi-purpose player, he ranked as one of the top 15 receivers in the WPIAL and scored a total of 15 TDs in various manners during the 2006 season. On defense, he led the team in tackles and had three interceptions.
Watters earned first-team All-Quad East honors as both a junior and senior after he recorded eight interceptions as a junior and seven as a senior.
The new additions join a Rock program that graduated only nine players from a 2006 squad that recorded a 7-4 overall record and finished in a tie for third-place in the tough Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division.
