Dakota Royer’s big day is set.
Manheim Central’s rising senior blue chip recruit will announce which college will inherit his services on Thursday, July 30 in a noon-time press conference at Central.
As I told you first back on June 14, Royer’s final five are Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State and Pitt.
He is in the midst of whittling down that list, and he will make his decision public on July 30.
Royer had a standout junior season last fall, earning First-Team Triple-A Associated Press All-State honors after racking up 13 sacks from his defensive end spot. He also hauled in 56 passes for 1,099 yards (20.6 yards per catch) and five touchdowns as a TE/H-back for the Barons.
According to Rivals.com, Royer is the 13th-best weakside defensive end prospect in the recruiting class of 2010.
ANDREWS ON THE MOVE – Lancaster Mennonite’s girls’ basketball and field hockey programs just got a whole lot better.
Rising junior Katie Andrews, an all-star field hockey player who also helped Lampeter-Strasburg reach the state Triple-A basketball championship game this past winter, has transferred to Mennonite and she will take classes and play sports for the Blazers starting this fall.
Andrews was particularly pesky on the basketball floor. A dynamite defender who could also pop the 3-pointer, she joined the starting lineup early in her sophomore season and went on to average 5.8 points a game and drill 14 treys for the Pioneers, who went 29-4 overall, won the L-L League Section 3 title, reached the league semifinals and the District 3 Triple-A title game before advancing to the state final.
While Mennonite’ basketball team lost L-L League Player of the Year Katelyn Vanderhoff to graduation, the Blazers will return key cogs Steph Rheinheimer, Jess Rheinheimer, and Erin LaVenice – and now Andrews – this coming season. Mennonite has reached the District 3 championship game the last two years in a row – winning the Triple-A title in 2008 and finishing second in Double-A in 2009.
CAMP TIME – Conestoga Valley grad and former Millersville associate head coach and Mansfield head coach Jim Shiffer is Stevens Tech’s new offensive line coach. And he’s offering a one-day camp for local lineman.
Shiffer, who was a finalist for a couple of the last L-L League coaching vacancies, will host the Blocking Academy Football Camp on August 1 for players in grades 5-12 at Stevens Tech from 7:30 a.m. until 4:15 p.m.
If you register early, cost is $55. If you register the day of the event, cost is $65.
For more information, e-mail Shiffer at TheFootballAcademy@hotmail.com.
