Cincinnati Anderson Head football Coach Vince Suriano has four players in his
arsenal that are big time playmakers and are showing serious Division I
potential. Quarterback Kurt Shoemaker, wide receiver Matt Mullenax, offensive
lineman Rob Sherman, and safety Brandon Wamsley all have major Division I
recruiters and coaches knocking at Coach Suriano’s door.
“Every recruiter who comes in here to see Kurt is really impressed once
they see him on the hoof and they see his highlight film,” explains Coach
Vince Suriano.
Quarterback Kurt Shoemaker is turning a lot of heads at Division I-A programs
with his on field ability and performance. At 6’3”, 195 pounds, Coach
Suriano explains Kurt’s biggest strengths are “his quick release, strong
arm, and his range for a kid his size.”
Although Kurt has not received any offers yet, some of the major programs
vying for his talent are Northwestern, Ohio University, Miami (OH), Illinois,
and Cincinnati. Kurt has already committed to camp at Northwestern and
Cincinnati this summer.
Coach Suriano is most impressed with Kurt’s willingness to work on aspects
of his game that could be improved. “Last year, he was in between 4.9 and 5.0
in his forty time. Kurt went out for track to work on his speed and he was timed
at 4.76, 4.74, and 4.72 last week, so he has really improved.”
A couple parts of Kurt’s game that Coach Suriano feels could use
improvement are his footwork and his passing form. “Every once in a while when
his arm get tired Kurt drops his elbow, kind of like a baseball player. This is
something we are working on. As far as footwork is concerned, every quarterback
needs to work on footwork. Overall, Kurt does not have a lot of flaws.”
This past year Kurt was 110 of 190 passing for 1,276 yards and 8 touchdowns
with 650 yards rushing. He will be the first two-year starter for Coach Suriano
since he has become head coach at Cincinnati Anderson.
Matt Mullenax’s on field performance is just as impressive as his 4.056 GPA
he accomplishes in the classroom. Despite missing six games last season with a
broken collarbone, Matt is getting looks from major Division I programs,
including Duke, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, all the Mid-American Conference
programs, all the Ivy League programs, and all of the Academies.
“He is a smart kid with good character,” explains Coach Suriano. “Matt
has good hands and makes things happen. He is an outstanding possession
receiver. He is a Wayne Chrebet type player.” Matt runs a 4.5 forty, and Coach
Suriano feels Matt will become more marketable the faster he gets.
Matt will attend several one-day camps this summer. Performing well at camp
will be crucial in the recruiting of Matt Mullenax in light of his injury last
season.
Rob Sherman is a strong, high profile lineman. Although he plays tackle in
high school, he will most likely play the guard position at the next level. “Rob
has a great work ethic and attitude,” says Coach Suriano, “He is physical
and can run well with a 5.28 forty time.”
Rob is gaining attention from all the Mid-American programs, Illinois,
Indiana, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, Northwestern, and Wake Forest.
“Rob really likes Wake Forest. He likes the coaching staff and the whole
atmosphere down there,” says Coach Suriano.
Rob Sherman will be camping at Illinois, Ohio, and Wake Forest in addition to
a lot of one-day camps this summer.
Moving to the defensive side of the ball, safety Brandon Wamsley is getting
noticed for his speed and his aggressiveness. He hits hard and is a good
tackler. However, at 6’3”, 195 pounds with a 4.5 forty, Brandon has the size
and speed to be a wide receiver in college. “We plan on introducing him into
the offensive scheme this year,” say Coach Suriano.
Programs that are most interested in Brandon’s talent are West Virginia,
Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Maryland, which is showing the most
interest. Brandon plans on attending several one-day camps in addition to camps
at the aforementioned schools.
Overall, Coach Suriano is extremely pleased with these four players. He says
they all work hard on all aspects of their game and are always looking to
improve. Coach has high expectations for the upcoming season and high
expectations for these four players, both for the 2003-2004 season and on the
college field.