LORETTO -- The Saint Francis football program added to its 2020 signing class on Wednesday with the addition of 17 players to bring the total class size to 21. Four players signed in December during the early signing period. Read the early signing release here.
Four members of the 2020 class are already on campus, three of which transferred from Lackawanna College, and one from Virginia Tech. Read about the early enrollees below:
Early Enrollees
TE 6'2" 220 lbs – Sameer Parks (Cherry Hill, N.J. / Cherry Hill West / Lackawanna College)
Parks transfers to Loretto from Lackawanna College where he helped the Falcons to a No. 2 national ranking and appearance in the NJCAA National Championship game. A team captain, he earned NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-Conference honors, hauling in 15 catches for 175 yards and six touchdowns.
Parks was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection at Cherry Hill West High School. He is already enrolled in classes and with the team for the Spring Semester.
Offensive Coordinator Marco Pecora on Parks: "Sameer is a versatile tight end who will make our offense even more dynamic. He is a tough, physical player who comes from a national caliber program. We are excited to see the impact he will make on our program."
RB 5'9" 200 lbs – Marques DeShields (Clementon, N.J. / Overbrook H.S. / Lackawanna College)
DeShields joins Tre'Quan Dorsey and Sameer Parks from the Lackawanna team that appeared in the 2019 NJCAA National Championship. He averaged over 5.2 yards per carry on the season, totaling 528 yards on the ground on 100 carries, including a career-high 169 yards on 12 carrier vs. Erie.
DeShields was a two-year starter at Overbrook High School and First Team All-League selection, rushing for over 1,000 yards in his junior and senior seasons and amassing 43 combined touchdowns. He is already enrolled in classes and with the team for the Spring Semester.
Offensive Coordinator Marco Pecora on DeShields: "Marques is a dynamic, versatile play-maker who plays with great passion and energy."
OL 6'2" 285 lbs. – Louis Mihota (Fredericksburg, Va. / Massaponax H.S. / Virginia Tech)
Mihota transfers to the Red Flash from Virginia Tech and has three seasons of eligibility remaining. He is already enrolled in classes and with the team for the Spring Semester.
A four-year letter winner at Massaponax, he was a First Team All-Region and All-State center.
Offensive Line Coach Ryan Wilson on Mihota: " We are excited to add Louis to our offensive line. He is an experienced guy who joined us at the mid-year and has already established himself as a hard worker. He has a toughness about him that has been great to see and I look forward to watching it translate to the field."
The rest of the recruiting class consisted of athletes from Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. A heavy focus was placed on the offensive line.
K 5'9" 185 lbs – Nick Basile (York, Pa. / Central York)
Basile made 13-22 field goals over three varsity seasons, including 6-9 as a senior as Central York went 9-2. He also converted 43-46 PATs and earned YAIAA All-Star Division I Second Team honors as a kicker and Honorable Mention honors as a punter as well as All-Eastern Pennsylvania Class 6A Honorable Mention honors for his kicking prowess. His kicking coach is former Saint Francis All-Conference kicker Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley).
Special Teams Coordinator Josh Hutchinson on Basile: "Nick is a young man that we got to know very well throughout the recruiting process. He is a PA kid with a big leg and will be a nice addition to our kicking unit."
DL 6'2" 280 lbs – Eddie Bierals (Wayne, N.J. / DePaul Catholic)
Bierals helped DePaul Catholic win a Non-Public III New Jersey State Championship as a senior as the Spartans went 7-4 for a no. 9 state ranking. Bierals racked up 47 tackles, 8.0 tackles for a loss and 3.0 sacks for the season and was named Honorable Mention All-State and Second Team All-County in football.
Bierals was also the 2018 District Champion in wrestling and a First Team All-District and All-County selection
Defensive Line Coach Jacob Craig on Bierals: "Eddie is a tough, gritty defensive lineman who plays with great effort on the field. He has a great get-off and shows strength at the point of attack. Eddie is a high-energy guy who lights up a room. We are excited to have Eddie and work with him over the next four years."
OL – 6'1" 290 lbs - Ryan Cross (Greensburg, Pa. / Hempfield Area)
High school teammates with early signee Cole Graham at Hempfield Area, Ryan was a three-year letter winner and starter, playing on both sides of the ball.
Offensive Line Coach Ryan Wilson on Cross: "We were very excited to add another Hempfield guy to our program. Ryan is a big, physical kid who will come in and add depth at the center position. He is an intelligent player who I believe will develop quickly in our program."
OLB – 6'1" 205 lbs - Kesean Dyson (Ashburn, Va. / Broad Run)
Dyson earned First Team All-Conference honors as a senior, helping Broad Run to a 12-1 record as a team captain.
He was a VHSL Class 4 Second Team All-State selection as the Spartans defense allowed just 12 ppg.
Defensive Coordinator Bishop Neal on Dyson: "Kesean is a very athletic edge player who has a very high football IQ. His development in the weight room will be the determining factor in how great he can be. We are excited to have the opportunity to develop Keseasn into an outstanding football player."
CB 6'1" 180 lbs – Kennyth Kennedy (Paramus, N.J. / Paramus Catholic)
Kennedy recorded 44 tackles, eight pass breakups and two tackles for a loss for the Paladins as a senior and is one of the top 400m track athletes in the state of New Jersey.
Defensive Coordinator Bishop Neal on Kennedy: "Kennyth is a great kid who comes from a family full of athletes. He is a fast and physical defensive back that has the length to cover anyone. If Kennyth can hone in on his technique and fall in love with the process of his growth, he will be special."
OL 6'0 290 lbs – Elijah Lastrap (Fort Washington, Md. / National Christian Academy)
Lastrap was a four-year letter winner on both sides of the ball for National Christian Academy, helping the Eagles to a 26-16 record.
Offensive Line Coach Ryan Wilson on Lastrap: Elijah is a talented player out of National Christian Academy who really displays strength and physicality. He has the ability to play all three interior positions and a nastiness to finish defenders. He will bring an attitude to our group."
WR – 6'2 185 lbs – Eli Lynch (Washington Courthouse, Ohio / Washington H.S.)
A three-sport athlete, Lynch was the top receiving target at Washington High School, posting 66 catches for 759 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. A First Team All-District and Special Mention All-Ohio performer, he was selected to play in the Blue-Grey All-American game.
Offensive Coordinator Marco Pecora on Lynch: " Eli is a long receiver who can stretch the field. His productivity at Washington High School really stood out to us."
OL 5'11" 255 lbs – Nick McGowan (Johnstown, Pa. / Bishop McCort)
A three-year letter winner at Bishop McCort, McGowan excelled on both sides of the ball. A dominant center, he also tallied 64 tackles on defense with 5.0 tackles for a loss. He was a two-time LHAC All-Conference selection.
Offensive Line Coach Ryan Wilson on McGowan: "Nick is another local product from Bishop McCort that we are excited to keep at home. He is a tough kid who plays with grit and determination. He is very intelligent and another guy who will fit in well with the culture we are building in the O-Line room."
DB 5'11"185 lbs - Breon Noel (Baltimore, Md. / St. Frances Academy)
Noel was a key member of a dominant St. Frances Academy that went 11-1 and earned a No. 3 national ranking and a No. 1 ranking in the state of Maryland.
Defensive Coordinator Bishop Neal on Noel: "Breon is a twitchy and physical defensive back that plays with the mentality that we are looking for in our defense. He is a fearless competitor who plays with a chip on his shoulder. The sky is the limit for Breon as long as he continues to play with the mentality we saw during the recruiting process."
DE 6'4" 200 lbs - Nico Nuzzo (New Castle, Pa. / Neshannock)
A speed rusher off the edge, Nuzzo recorded 27 sacks over his final two seasons of varsity football. As a senior, Neshannock went 9-3 with Nuzzo playing on both sides of the ball. He was rewarded as an All-Section selection.
Defensive Line Coach Jacob Craig on Nuzzo: "Nico is an athletic, twitchy defensive end/outside linebacker from the Pittsburgh area. Nico shows toughness and the ability to bend the edge. His athleticism and strain are two characteristics that define his play. Nico is another high-energy guy whose motor never stops. We are excited to add Nico to our program."
DL 6'0 290 lbs – Langston Ross (Forestville, Md. / Bishop McNamara)
Ross was the anchor of the Bishop McNamara defensive line and a two-time All-WCAC selection who also played on the offensive line. He was named to the Rivals Maryland's Top 180 Football Players list in 2020
Defensive Line Coach Jacob Craig on Ross: "Langston is a quick, athletic lineman that played both ways in high school. He changes direction well and strikes violently at the point of attack. His film has numerous examples of great effort and strain to the ball. Langston has also done a great job in the classroom. We are excited to welcome him to Saint Francis."
WR 5'10" 170 lbs – Tobee Stokes (York, Pa, / William Penn)
Stokes is a dynamic athlete who played quarterback as a senior at William Penn and earned YAIAA All-Star Division I Second Team honors. As a junior, he averaged 8.7 yards per carry, playing primarily in the backfield and at wide receiver, as well as in the defensive backfield. He is a three-sport star with letters in basketball and track & field in addition to football.
Offensive Coordinator Marco Pecora on Stokes: "Tobee can do it all! He is an electric playmaker who makes good things happen with the ball in his hands. We are excited to incorporate him into our offense."
LB 6'0" 225 lbs – Joe Toepfer (Cincinnati, Ohio / Archbishop Moeller)
Toepfer is a two-time All-Greater Catholic League selection, earning first team honors as a senior. He finished his high school career with 174 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Defensive Coordinator Bishop Neal on Toepfer: "Joe is a relentless competitor that has the versatility to play on the edge or play inside. His high motor and intelligence will allow him to be successful at either position. I'm looking forward to seeing which position suits him the best as we think he will develop into an outstanding player."
OL 6'3" 275 lbs – Zach Vitko (Sidman, Pa. / Forest Hills)
Vitko was a two-way standout at Forest Hills and a member of the Western PA All-Academic Team.
Offensive Line Coach Ryan Wilson on Vitko: "Zach is a local prospect out of Forest Hills that we were thrilled to add. We were able to spend a lot of time with him throughout the recruiting process and are excited to keep him home. He has a lot of tools that I am excited to watch develop."
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