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Recruit Report: Aliquippa's junior class is loaded
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Dravon Henry looks like he will be the next heavily recruited football player at Aliquippa High School. But Henry might not be the only Quips player to go to a Division I college in the class of 2014.
Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac believes two other juniors are Division I prospects, lineman Jaleel Fields (6 feet 3, 280 pounds) and running back-defensive back Terry Swanson (5-9, 182).
Fields is on the radar of Division I colleges and has loads of potential, but Zmijanac said junior linebacker Donovan Cobb (5-11, 220) is another Aliquippa junior to watch.
As for Henry, a 5-11, 185-pound junior running back-defensive back, he already has Division I scholarship offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Michigan State and a few others. He is being recruited as a defensive back.
"Our junior class is very good. Dravon is good, but don't overlook some of our other juniors," Zmijanac said. "Dravon has a chance to be good, but he's young yet.
"He's tough, he's pretty fast and he's smart. He might not be big enough or fast enough to play running back at big-time places, but colleges recruit guys who are 5-11 and 180 pounds and can play defense."
Henry's father, Pancho, was on Aliquippa's 1996 WPIAL championship team that was coached by Frank Marocco. Pancho Henry also was a member of Aliquippa's 1997 PIAA championship basketball team that Zmijanac coached.
Dravon Henry's uncle is Arno Askew, who played football and basketball at Aliquippa and received a scholarship to Pitt.
"Dravon has the right genes," Zmijanac said.
Two of the top female swimmers in Pennsylvania are headed to Division I colleges.
Mars senior Maggie Gruber, a PIAA record-holder, made a verbal commitment to Virginia Tech. Her other top choice was Ohio State.
Oakland Catholic senior Leah Smith has committed to the University of Virginia. Smith also is a PIAA record-holder, but did not compete in high school swimming last season. Instead, she trained for the Olympics and competed in the Olympic Trials this summer.
Smith was recruited by a number of major colleges, including Texas and Southern California.
Both Gruber and Smith will sign letters of intent during the NCAA weeklong early signing period next month.
First Published October 12, 2012 12:00 am
