JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Red Tornado running back set to play prep football, then hopefully earn a Division 1 scholarship.
It was one of the best quotes to come out of the Lancaster-Lebanon League football media day late last summer.
McCaskey coach Scott Feldman, holding court in front of a group of reporters, called Red Tornado running back Jerome LaRue the best tailback in the state.
“He’ll definitely play at the next level,” Feldman said. “Slam dunk.”
A wrist injury cost LaRue invaluable time during fall drills, and a sprained left knee cost him a game early in the season — an injury-riddled, otherwise forgettable season that left LaRue feeling frustrated — and the Tornado with a 3-7 record.
But the McCaskey grad took a big step toward the next level this week when he announced that he’ll be attending Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y.
LaRue, who rushed for 669 yards on 120 carries and scored nine touchdowns in nine games for the Tornado last fall, is set to enroll in the prep school in July.
If his grades are sufficient, he can leave as early as January 2009 for an NCAA four-year program.
“I need this,” LaRue said. “I need to go there and get good grades, enjoy the football experience and get ready for college.”
The 6-0, 195-pound speedster has a pair of football scholarship offers in his back pocket. Pittsburgh and Arizona have both offered LaRue a ride, but he needs to perform well academically to become eligible for any Division I college.
LaRue is the second McCaskey student-athlete this spring to announce he’ll be attending a prep school before heading off to a four-year college.
Tornado basketball standout Lamar Patterson said in May that he’ll forego his senior year at McCaskey and will enroll at St. Benedict’s in New Jersey before heading to Pitt.
LaRue is also the second L-L League standout in as many years to go to Milford Academy.
Conestoga Valley grad Ty Bynum, a two-time All-State pick who helped the Buckskins win the Section 2 title and reach the District 3 Quad-A quarterfinals in 2006, attended Milford Academy and played for the Falcons last fall, catching 23 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns from his wideout spot.
Bynum received a scholarship to play football for the University of Rhode Island.
Turns out LaRue found out about Milford Academy through Bynum, his close friend since childhood.
“Ty and I grew up together, and he told me a lot of great things about Milford,” LaRue said. “And Coach Feldman suggested that I go to a junior college or to a prep school to get my grades up. So Milford was a perfect fit.”
LaRue first started making noise in national recruiting circles after a breakout junior season, when he finished second in the L-L League in rushing with 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry and, thanks to his sprinting prowess on the track, possessed great breakaway jets.
And he looked primed for a big senior season before the injury bug bit him.
“It hurt a lot not being able to play,” LaRue said. “People saw what I could do in my junior year, but they couldn’t see what I could do in my senior year because I was hurt. So that was frustrating.”
Finally healthy and serious about playing for a major Division I program, LaRue paid a visit to Milford Academy this spring.
The coaching staff at the prep school immediately likened him to former Bishop McDevitt speedster LeSean “Shady” McCoy, a former Milford Academy performer who now plays for Pitt.
“As soon as I walked in, everyone started calling me Shady,” LaRue said. “I guess they’re already comparing me to him up there.”
LaRue said he hopes to impress more Division I programs by becoming stronger and more durable while playing for the Falcons. And, more importantly, he wants to be a polished student.
“I definitely want to be brighter when I leave there,” he said. “I’m just really happy to be going there. I really need that discipline and taking in the whole experience to get ready for college — school-wise and football.”
