For four Passaic County athletes, Sunday will mark the official end of their high school sports careers.
Kumar Davis of Eastside, Jarel Lowery of Paterson Catholic and Matt Dortch and Chris Pantale of Wayne Valley will play in Sunday’s New York/New Jersey All-Star Football Classic at Rutgers Stadium. The game, pitting the top seniors from the Empire State against those from the Garden State, will be televised live at 3 o’clock on MY9 and rebroadcast over the summer occasionally on the NFL Network.
“I’m real excited about this, playing with the best players in the state,” said Lowery, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman who is headed to Syracuse on a football scholarship. “(We’re) showing all of our skills and we’re going to come out with a victory.”
While the Passaic quartet will all play football on scholarship at the next level, they also competed in a variety of sports in high school, something which they all agree prepared them for what's ahead.
“I tell my guys they’re more competitive and more well rounded if they do something (besides football),” said Paterson Catholic coach Benjie Wimberly, whose team won the Non-Public Group 1 state title last season. “I strongly encourage them to take part in basketball, baseball, track. They should do something.”
Lowery earned third-team All-State honors as an offensive lineman for the PC football team and also was a role player on the basketball team that won the Passaic County championship and finished No. 1 in the Herald New Top 10. During the spring, he competed in the shot put, finishing fifth in Passaic County and third in the states (with a throw of 47 feet, 8 inches), while also winning a league title in the B-PSL.
He qualified for Thursday’s Meet of Champions, but opted to skip the event to attend football practice at Rutgers for the big game.
“I do enjoy playing three sports because it keeps me able to do things,” Lowery said. “I don’t get bored. It helps me stay in shape and keep my athletic ability up.”
The 6-6 Boston College-bound Pantale was a legitimate three-sport star in football, basketball and track. He was named third-team All-State at tight end in football and helped the Indians reach the North 1, Group 3 title game at Giants Stadium; played center for a Valley basketball team that won its first North 1, Group 3 sectional title since 1997; and finished second in the discus in the Meet of Champions (172-5).
Upon his return to the basketball court from a knee injury, the Indians went 13-3 en route to the sectional title.
“Chris Pantale is Chris Pantale," Valley basketball coach Joe Leicht said. "Who's a better athlete than Chris Pantale. Who's stronger, bigger and has more pride?"
In addition to rushing for 1,452 yards and 12 touchdowns during the football season, the 6-foot, 200-pound Davis was a key contributor to the Eastside basketball team as it reached the Passaic County title game and won the North 1, Group 4 championship. He is headed to UMAss on a football scholarship.
Though he did not compete in track this season, he ran several events in the past.
“Track helped me build my endurance and my all-around speed,” Davis said. “Basketball helps my acceleration and my explosion.” And Donald Davis, Kumar’s father and the football and basketball coach, said football helped make his son tougher on the basketball court.
Dortch, the Herald News Offensive Player of the Year, was a star on the football field, earning second-team All-State honors after accounting for 31 total touchdowns and 2,583 yards of offense.
Though he did not compete in track this past year, he has done so in the past.
“Track helped me with my legs and my arm movement, it made me more agile,” said Dortch, headed to Division I-AA Central Connecticut State.
Now, in their final high school athletic event, all four athletes will unite on the football field for one common goal: defeat the New Yorkers.
“I can’t wait,” Dortch said. “The talent level here is crazy.”
Blog: myheraldnews.com/zagsblog/
Comments