Plainfield N. grid program hits jackpot
PLAINFIELD -- Andrew Starks will miss playing on the offensive side of the ball, but he is willing to make the sacrifice.
Starks, who was a Herald News all-area selection at safety but also an effective quarterback, was one of five Plainfield North High School football players to sign with the colleges of their choice Wednesday during a morning ceremony in the school Media Center on national letter-of-intent signing day.
His destination? None other than Princeton University of the prestigious Ivy League.
Cornerback Dominique Ware, meanwhile signed with Northern Illinois, honoring the commitment to the Huskies he had made earlier. Defensive back Dion Strong cast his lot with NCAA Division II Ferris State. Wide receiver Alex Helriegel and kicker Tim Eulitz, future roommates, decided on Division II Upper Iowa.
Running back Jake Arnold, meanwhile, who missed much of his senior season with a broken leg, still is weighing his options.
Starks had drawn interest from Air Force, Navy, Colorado State, Illinois State and, toward the end of the process, Boston College jumped in with an offer. In addition to Princeton, Brown and Yale from the Ivy League offered for football.
"The name Princeton stuck out a lot, and when I made my visits, I liked it a lot," Starks said. "I know they won the Ivy League championship a couple of years ago."
The Ivy League -- impressive indeed.
"I'm able to go there because of four years of hard work," said Starks, who needless to say is an excellent student. "My parents have been on me since I was a little about getting the academics right."
Starks said he is deciding between business and something in medicine for a major. "Or maybe I'll pursue a double major in business and medicine," he said.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Starks was named co-defensive MVP in the Southwest Prairie Conference after a senior season where he made 87 tackles, including three for loss, from his safety slot. As the quarterback, he ran for 490 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaged 5.0 per carry, and completed 29-of-66 passes for 374 yards and 2 touchdowns.
At Princeton, which does not redshirt, he will begin his career at safety, and probably on special teams. "But I could move to outside linebacker if I get bigger," he said.
But what about not taking snaps any longer?
"I'll miss playing on the offensive side," he said. "It's electric. I like the ball in my hands."
The Tigers finished last season 4-5, losing to Morris in a Week 9 game that determined which of the two was headed to the playoffs.
"It was disappointing not to be in the playoffs, but these guys laid a real solid foundation for the future, and we have to build on that," coach Tim Kane said. "After so many heartbreaking losses, it's great to have this day and honor these young men who are going on.
"Their parents -- we have such outstanding parents in this program. It's great to see their sons use football as a tool after they trained so hard. They are great leaders in our prgoram, role models for the younger athletes. They are living examples of what you can accomplish with hard work."
Ware, a pure cornerback and all-area selection, joined Starks and Strong in one of the top defensive backfields in the area. He said he has been sold on NIU for quite a while.
"I went to their camp in early June and I really liked it there," he said. "And, I wanted to stay close to home."
Ware, who made 35 tackles and intercepted 3 passes as a senior, has received indication that he may play at NIU as a freshman rather than redshirting. "Our first game is against Wisconsin, so I have a lot of work to do to get ready," he said.
As his teammates also expressed, Ware said he "wanted the playoff experience" in high school. "But next year I'll be getting ready for a bowl game," he added with a smile.
He plans to major in accounting. "I'm taking business programs already," he said. "The business school at NIU is ranked third in the nation."
To get ready to join the Huskies, the 175-pound Ware (up 10 pounds since the fall) said he plans to put on more weight. A member of the Tigers state-qualifying 4x1 relay team, he was timed at 4.43 in the 40 three weeks ago. "I want to improve my speed, too," he said. "You always want to do that."
Strong was a man of many hats at North. He played cornerback and running back as a senior, also some wide receiver along the way.
"I'll be a safety for sure at Ferris State, and maybe return kicks," he said.
Western Illinois, Concordia and Upper Iowa also were in the hunt for Strong's services. He said he chose Ferris State "because I liked the coaches, the environment, the facilities, everything about it."
He plans to major in business.
Helriegel and Eulitz have been friends since grade school. They did not enter the recruiting process as a tandem, but as it went along, they learned such a combination could work out at Upper Iowa.
Helriegel, an all-conference selection, caught 17 passes for 299 yards, a 17.6 average, and 4 touchdowns as a senior. He runs good routes and will catch a pass in traffic.
Eulitz made 24-of-26 extra points and 3-of-4 field goals, with a long of 37. His only miss was from 41 yards.
Helriegel said he also looked at Division II schools Ferris State, Winona State and Truman State before deciding on Upper Iowa.
"It's a good place for me because they have a new coach who I like, and they tend to be about 60-40 pass to run," he said. "That's a big reason I chose it."
Helriegel, who plans to major in sports management, has been told he probably will not be redshirted.
His roommate-to-be, Eulitz, who is considering majoring in pre-med, also likes the idea that he probably will play right away.
"Probably the big reasons I wanted to go there were the money and starting right away," he said. "At least I will have a chance to compete for the kicking spot."
To prepare, he said the big thing will be "increasing my leg strength."
