Friday, June 30, 2006 11:10 PM CDT
Four Casey-Westfield grads to continue football careers at collegiate level
By Mike Monahan, Staff Writer
CASEY -- Four recent graduates of Casey-Westfield, who finished their high school football careers by playing on the 11-1 IHSA Class 2A quarterfinal football team are to continue their football playing at the collegiate level.
Daniel Moore, a six-foot, 195 pound linebacker/running back, is to walk-on at Murray State University. Alex Dane, a 6-5, 220 pound lineman is to play at Monmouth College, while Mitch Yates, a 5-11, 160 pound defensive back/end and Nick Murphy, a 5-9, 160 pound running back/defensive back are to attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Casey coach Keith Sinclair commented on the fact that the Warriors have four moving on to play at the collegiate level.
“It gives the kids a lot of encouragement and understanding that if they put forth the effort they can move on to the next level.”
Moore is a first time all-Little Illini Conference linebacker, who started all four years for the Warriors, who went 32-9 during that time, making the playoffs all four years. He started as a linebacker all four years and also played fullback. He recently played in the Order of the Eastern Star All-Star Football Game.
“Murray State is getting a good linebacker who will develop over the years,” said Sinclair. “He had a great high school career. He is a good leader.”
Moore said he visited Valparaiso and the University of Missouri at Rolla.
“Murray State has a program they have in my major (construction engineering) and that is what I wanted and it fits me perfectly. Also the potential for getting a Division I-AA scholarship is there. It makes my goals high, but I want to try and reach them. I really wanted to play football. I love challenges-working hard for something and seeing something good come out of it and working hard and putting your heart into it. It is a big goal, but with a hard work ethic I think I can make it (the top 56 players). I would love to comeback and play at Eastern in front of the people who support me.”
Murray State, a school of 9,000, is in the same conference as Eastern Illinois, the Ohio Valley Conference and is coached by Matt Griffin. The Racers are to travel to Eastern Oct. 21.
Dane is a first team all-LIC offensive tackle, where has started all four years.
“He is a tackle with good size and has great potential in developing a lot more size at the college level,” said Sinclair.
Dane is one of more than 45 incoming recruits to the Fighting Scots, who lost their top three tackles to graduation. Dane is one of 10 lineman recruited along with Charleston’s Nick Davis.
Monmouth is a Division III school of 1,300 that competes in the Midwest Conference and is coached by Steve Bell. Monmouth finished 10-1 last year, making the Division III playoffs and winning the Midwest Conference.
Yates and Murphy join 2004 Casey graduate Steve Hawkins, who completed his sophomore season for the Fightin’ Engieneers and was third on the team in tackles with 36 solos and 29 assists as a defensive back. Rose-Hulman finished 5-5 last year and is coached by Steve Englehart, who replaced Ted Karras, who resigned to accept the head coaching job at Marian. Rose-Hulman is moving to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference after completing eight seasons in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
For Yates it was a tough decision as other family members had gone to Olivet Nazarene University.
“It is a small private school with about 20 per class and that was big for me,” said Yates. “I didn’t want to go to a class where there are 600 other students sitting with me. It is a great engineering school and I think that is what I want to do. Football was not the real selling point.”
Yates, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during the school year, said, “I got in with a good doctor in Indianapolis and he did a great job with my knee. I came back faster and fell 100 percent. I would like to play all four years, but I’m here to be a student and here to learn.”
Sinclair said, “I would think Steve Hawkins played a big part in their decision and knowing the success Steve has had at Rose-Hulman. I think Steve is aleader on the team and interested in having them come there.”
Murphy, a first team all-LIC defensive back, said he didn’t look anywhere else.
“It has been one of the top engineering schools in the nation the last past five years and education is first to me,” said Murphy. “I have played football since I was n the fifth grade and I love the game of football and want to keep playing it until it is not fun anymore. It is something I have always loved doing and it is nice to have the option to play in college and be a part of the team.”
Casey wins consolation title at Illinois
Casey-Westfield lost its opening game of the University of Illinois 7-on-7 Shootout Team Camp to Trenton Wesclin 40-33. Wesclin is a team that finished 7-3, losing in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. After that the Warriors defeated Pana, Champaign Centennial and Monticello, going 3-1 overall. Centennial, a member of the Big 12 Conference, made the Class 6A playoffs last year.
The freshman-sophomore team won all four games.
“We made a lot of good improvement,” said Sinlcair.
Casey is set to play host to an eight-team 7-on-7 tournament and lineman competition July 15.
Contact Mike Monahan at mmonahan@jg-tc.com or 238-6854.
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