By: Dan Sousa
Sterling (Feb. 8, 2007) – Park View High School
running back Deric Dudinski was offered a partial scholarship
to Shepherd on Wednesday, but the Patriots’ all-time leading rusher is
considering walk-on offers to Division I schools according to his coach
Andy Hill.
“I expect that he will sit on this for now,” said
Hill. “He will not know what walk-on opportunities will be available
until later this week or next.”
Hill said that there is a possibility that Virginia,
Rutgers and Rhode Island could all offer Dudinski “preferred walk-on”
status.
“I believe he will earn a scholarship at any of those schools within a year,” said Hill.
Dudinski could also be in line for some offers from other Division
II schools such as East Stroudsburg (PS) and Carson-Newman (Tenn.).
In other recruiting news from Park View, defensive
lineman Corbin Barnes has received a partial scholarship offer from
Shepherd and he has gotten interest from East Stroudsburg (PA),
Viringia State and Carson-Newman (Tenn.). Barnes is expected to make a
decision in the next several weeks.
Another Park View senior, Justin Denekas has narrowed his school choices down to Salisbury, Bridgewater or Frostburg State.
Hill said the school will hold a signing ceremony for
Amechi Anyaugo, who signed Wednesday with Norfolk State, and the other
players that make decisions sometime late next week.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Dudinski became the Patriots
all-time leading rusher with 5,708 career yards after rushing for 2,171
yards this season. He scored 31 touchdowns in 11 games as the Patriots
went 9-1 and then lost to Louisa in the first round of the Region II
Division 4 playoffs. The only player in Northern Virginia history to
rush for more yards in a career is Westfield’s Evan Royster (now at
Penn State).
“For the record, I wish some of these recruiters
would look past his height and long blond hair and see that this kid
can flat out play,” said Hill.