OT- Matawan QB transfers to St Joes Montvale

[krup]

I didn't realize his hometown public school owned him. Maybe he is doing what he thinks is best for him and his future. Is that not ok?

Why you didn't realize is that you have reading comprehension issues. I didn't even post a judgement on the player choosing to commute to a better school for his future (and I have absolutely no problem with kids that do).

My shot was at the Rutgers fans who think that kids who have already shown in HS that they will take extraordinary steps to play for a better program will somehow pass up proven winning colleges that are farther away for a promise of better things at their home state college. Rutgers needs to recruit the North Jersey parochials, but they won't build their winning program on them.

 

[LetsGoRUwrestling]

Matawan has had a great history and have sent numerous players on to Division 1 and also the NFL. 2X Super Bowl winner Jim Jeffcoat tops the list. Pearson led his team as a freshman to a sectional title. Anybody who thinks he has to go to SJM to be noticed is crazy. He will play against better competition at SJM (Matawan is a smaller school) and that will benefit him.

 

[vkj91]

Why you didn't realize is that you have reading comprehension issues. I didn't even post a judgement on the player choosing to commute to a better school for his future (and I have absolutely no problem with kids that do).

My shot was at the Rutgers fans who think that kids who have already shown in HS that they will take extraordinary steps to play for a better program will somehow pass up proven winning colleges that are farther away for a promise of better things at their home state college. Rutgers needs to recruit the North Jersey parochials, but they won't build their winning program on them.

I have a comprehension issue? Are you telling me "Yet, after another example of a kid abandoning his home town public school" isn't passing a negative judgment on the kid?

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

Matawan's past is old news. The George Pearsons of our brave new world will go Catholic. In fact the Shapiros and Bernsteins probably will as well.

 

[patk89]

Hoffman has been offered jobs at BC on multiple occasions and does handsomely ($) for himself via BC summer camps. Hoffman, too, bailed on his local high school (Park Ridge) to play for a parochial even though he didn't need parochial ball to get a college scholarship and NFL cup of coffee. Well-known power lifter and athlete in his youth. Rutgers is an afterthought to Hoffman.

My friend brought his son to visit St. Joe's recently (they were also considering Bergen Catholic) and Hoffman proudly showed them pictures of the McCourty twins in their NFL uniforms as well as Hoffman in his Saints jersey. Played up the NFL potential. His son really liked Hoffman and is likely to go there for football. I don't think Hoffman is negative on RU but definitely has fond memories of BC.

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

How many buses and trains are we going to miss? We need a marketing monster who schmoozes and gets us into places where deals are made...It is not just about tweets and instagrams. It is about being at the right parties.We have a lot of catching up to do and we need to do it ASAP

 

[Mr_Twister]

How many coaches visited Matawan last season? I'd bet almost ever school in the country had some presence at SJ last season. The northern Parochials have second and third string kids getting full rides

If you have the ability to play Div-1 football, college programs find you. And you can have a normal family life and childhood and maintain life long friendships and maybe even bring glory and notoriety to your community, as well as yourself, instead of the sanctimonious magnet athletic high schools. Jordan Fuller did.

 

[RU1993]

So ridiculous. Didn't RU's own Jay Bellamy as well as Charlie Rodgers get to the NFL playing for Matawan?

I never said a matawan kid couldn't make the NFL. When I had my daughters parent teacher conference this year I was wearing a Rutgers hat and he mentioned that he was an alumni. I asked if he would be pushing George to Rutgers and he responded that George would never finish school and would wind up at a parochial school. By the way you forgot JIm Jeffcoat who played for in the NFL.

 

[RU2055]

No coach, not even Nick Saban is going to get the allegiance of ALL NJ HS coaches. Just not happening. Too much Jersey politics. But if we can get some, it would go a long way into improving our recruiting. I like the comments so far made by some of the coaches. Hinson, Hansen, Higgins, Carlson - all have said very positive things about Ash. Of course talk is cheap, but it's a huge improvement.

Remember the three criteria for recruiting - relationships, staff credibility and the school itself. Ash and co are well on their way with "relationships". Building relationships takes a lot of time. But when established, can be very powerful. I still remember during Wanny/Hafley's time at Pitt. When recruits chose a different school, they actually called Hafley to apologize. That was how great a recruiter Hafley was. Let's see if this staff can establish that type of bond with the Jersey kids. Also, if this staff can win some games and open eyes, then "credibility" will happen and we will be well on our way with "fencingthegarden".

 

[Kbee3]

Horse feathers. He is being sold a bill of goods. Where did his uncle go to school? Perfect example of an athlete who succeeded at a public school, not a magnet school for athletes.

That was a different time. And the opportunity to play vs. the type of competition that St. Joe's plays today and the quality of the coaching and the facilities available and the quality of education are light years from what was available back in Drew Pearson's day. I outta know. I was there.
The few parochials in the Middlesex county area didn't even play football back then.

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

Are there any dads or moms here who have dealt with a son who was in this position . ?What did you do ?Do you know anyone who has ? My feelings might change if this was a decision I was in a position to make in 2016
.

 

[RU-Kidding]

In the article the mom says she's looking for a Catholic education, yet Red Bank Catholic and St John Vianney is not far from Matawan.

"looking for a catholic education" - that's become the standard company line from parents of talented kids transferring to the parochial schools. They get counseled on what to say publicly and the school prays that no one is dumb enough to say that they are leaving for athletic advantage.

Dwayne Jarrett is a cousin of Pearson's too. He was expected to leave Matawan after his freshman year but they didn't have all their ducks in a row yet. .

 

[RU-Kidding]

How many coaches visited Matawan last season? I'd bet almost ever school in the country had some presence at SJ last season. The northern Parochials have second and third string kids getting full rides

It would be great if you could list those all 2nd and 3rd string players getting full rides this year.

 

[RU-Kidding]

So ridiculous. Didn't RU's own Jay Bellamy as well as Charlie Rodgers get to the NFL playing for Matawan?

LOL - I guess you didn't know that Charlie Rogers had his nephew Dejohn transfer to Paramus Catholic from Matawan last season.

 

[Section124]

So ridiculous. Didn't RU's own Jay Bellamy as well as Charlie Rodgers get to the NFL playing for Matawan?

Different times. If you are good, you prove yourself at the best. This kid is good.

 

[RU-Kidding]

LOL - I guess you didn't know that Charlie Rogers had his nephew Dejohn transfer to Paramus Catholic from Matawan last season.

BTW - Jay Bellamy still volunteers to coach at Matawan. Unreal that Rutgers has never reached out to him.

 

[jsol_05]

I didn't realize his hometown public school owned him. Maybe he is doing what he thinks is best for him and his future. Is that not ok?

They don't but when a recruit doesn't pick Rutgers because he is doing what is best for him, we shouldn't question his Jersey Pride. Can't have it both way. In 10 year it won't matter because all of the top player will start going to these academies in a warm weather state.

 

[vkj91]

They don't but when a recruit doesn't pick Rutgers because he is doing what is best for him, we shouldn't question his Jersey Pride. Can't have it both way. In 10 year it won't matter because all of the top player will start going to these academies in a warm weather state.

I don't. I'd love for kids to come to RU but always feel they should do what's best for them

 

[ngrant]

This is really all about the northern parochials recruiting athletes from outside of their typical catchment area. It's a practice that needs to be shut down.[/QUOT
The Northern "catholic" high school recruiting wars appear to be corrupt and at least distasteful. But I believe recent actions by the NJSIAA have legitimized the super leagues even further. Group B schools MUST play much bigger group A schools to be considered in "open" playoffs. Someone elaborate,...

 

[RUMBA-JK]

That's a long commute.

article says -
Pearson moved in with his mother, who wants him to be educated in "a Catholic environment."

.... no idea where mom lives ... but might be possible she is closer?

 

[andysjb]

Does he have to sit out in the beginning of the fall?

 

[Scarlet1984]

A couple of comments...

I believe if you move (even in the wrong direction) that counts and you don't have to sit. (St. Joe's Metuchen has kids "move" almost every year and play on the basketball team.)

Bellamy coaches youth football (AYF). He assembled a team of all-stars from all over in Freehold, then bailed and took the best players to Matawan. I know from people close to the situation that he was very underhanded about it.

 

[vkj91]

If you have the ability to play Div-1 football, college programs find you. And you can have a normal family life and childhood and maintain life long friendships and maybe even bring glory and notoriety to your community, as well as yourself, instead of the sanctimonious magnet athletic high schools. Jordan Fuller did.

You can't compare a national recruit who has been on the radar since the 7 th grade to your average Div 1 recruit.

 

[vkj91]

It would be great if you could list those all 2nd and 3rd string players getting full rides this year.

Sure. I live in Passaic county so maybe someone else can chime in about the Bergen kids but as for DP they had 12 kids get full rides in this cycle. They had 3 OL who started every game. The rest were skill guys and depending on who they were playing and what sets they were running some of the kids get limited time. For example, both RB's had scholarship offers. DB is another example of 2 kids getting full rides who weren't always on the filed. They had 55 schools watch their games live this Season and over 200 coaches visited the school. There are at least 50 schools who came to NJ this season and didn't bother to visit any schools not in the big north. Their sophomore QB who split time with a freshman already has an RU offer and he has a Michigan offer on its way. Let's not forget walker and Dubois both had multiple offers before really becoming contributors. Also, they are often get patriot league type schools to offer their role players. To argue the exposure isn't ridiculous is just plain silly.

 

[RBNY87]

BTW - Jay Bellamy still volunteers to coach at Matawan. Unreal that Rutgers has never reached out to him.

He gets paid about 10k. As far as Pearson, not a dual threat QB don't see RU coaches recruiting him.

 

[krup]

I have a comprehension issue? Are you telling me "Yet, after another example of a kid abandoning his home town public school" isn't passing a negative judgment on the kid?

If not a comprehension problem, then a vocabulary problem. The dictionary definition of the verb abandon is "give up completely", which is exactly what this kid is doing to his hometown school. Any negative connotation to my comment was invented by you.

 

[vkj91]

If not a comprehension problem, then a vocabulary problem. The dictionary definition of the verb abandon is "give up completely", which is exactly what this kid is doing to his hometown school. Any negative connotation to my comment was invented by you.

Lol. Even your rebuttal has a negative tone. He isn't abandoning his town or giving up up on them completely. He is simply choosing to do what he believes is best for his future. Why do you think his town has ownership of him? If you were going to open a business would you do it in your hometown even if there were better areas? Would you be abandoning your local economy?

 

[krup]

Lol. Even your rebuttal has a negative tone. He isn't abandoning his town or giving up up on them completely. He is simply choosing to do what he believes is best for his future. Why do you think his town has ownership of him? If you were going to open a business would you do it in your hometown even if there were better areas? Would you be abandoning your local economy?

Doubling down on your poor grasp of the English language? I said "abandoning his hometown school". Another dictionary definition of abandon is "to cease from maintaining, practicing, or using" which is exactly what the kid is doing by transferring to a parochial school regardless of the negative connections that immediately arose in the recesses of your brain.

By the way, in your stated example, a person who moved to another more lucrative area to start a business would absolutely be abandoning his local economy.

 

[78CollegeAve]

As long as the parochials only play each other and no NJ publics, I don't care what parents and kids do or if the Catholics recruit and parents spend half their lives lugging their boys to school.

 

[ManasquanMike]

As long as the parochials only play each other and no NJ publics, I don't care what parents and kids do or if the Catholics recruit and parents spend half their lives lugging their boys to school.

 

[ManasquanMike]

As long as the parochials only play each other and no NJ publics, I don't care what parents and kids do or if the Catholics recruit and parents spend half their lives lugging their boys to school.

By "Parents" you mean coaches right? I don't care where they play but call it what it is.