2009 Football NLI Class Includes 14
2/4/2009 11:59:00 AM | Football
Read the NLI Signee Profiles (PDF format)
Read Head Coach Doug Marrone's Press Conference Transcript
Orange head coach Doug Marrone's first National Letter of Intent signing class includes 14 student-athletes joining the Syracuse football family. The class represents nine different states and covers six positions on the field. The group includes defensive backs Dale Peterman, Phillip Thomas, Rishard Anderson, Torian Phillips and Shamarko Thomas , offensive linemen Andrew Tiller, Zack Chibane, Justin Pugh and Andrew Phillips, quarterback Charley Loeb, wide receiver Alec Lemon, linebackers E.J.Carter and Brandon Sharpeand defensive end Torrey Ball.
Orange fans are invited to watch Orange All Access for the exclusive interview with Marrone at 3:45, followed by his press conference, which begins at 4:00 p.m.
Tonight the football program will take over the backcourt in the Carrier Dome when Marrone introduces the class in person to the public. All Syracuse fans are invited to join Marrone at the event, which will begin at 6:15 p.m. Fans with tickets to the men's basketball game are invited to enter the Dome when the gates open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available online (click here) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (888-DOMETIX).
Meet the 2009 NLI Signing Class
Rishard Anderson, who is rated the 40th-best cornerback prospect by ESPNU, played for coach Byron Walker at American Heritage High School, but missed most of the 2008 season with a foot injury.
A National Junior College Athletic Association All-America Second Team selection, Torrey Ball recorded 31 tackles, including three sacks and five for a loss of yards, forced two fumbles and blocked two kicks. In the season finale against Lackawanna College, he blocked a field-goal attempt on the game's last snap. Ball played at Georgia Military College for coach Bert Williams.
E.J. Carter recorded 125 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles for coach Dale Salapa in 2008. As a junior, he averaged seven tackles per game.
Zack Chibane was named to the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Super 100 All-State Team. He earned 2008 All-Bergen County First Team and 2007 all-county third team honors. He was selected to participate in the New Jersey vs. Northeast All-Star Classic this summer. He was named all-league as a junior and senior after helping his team win back-to-back North One Group 3 League championships and helping his team to the first playoff win in program history. Chibane, who also wrestles and competes in the shot put for the track squad for Paramus High School, was a 2008 team captain for coach Dan Sabella. He recorded 110 career tackles as a defensive lineman.
Alec Lemon was named to the 2008 MaxPreps Second Team All-American and Associated Press First Team All-State teams, in addition to being selected as the Capital Gazette 2008 Player of the Year and Rhodes Trophy recipient. He earned additional honors including, selections to the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun First Team All-Metro squad, the Baltimore Sun All-County team and to the 2008 Baltimore Touchdown Club Super 22 Team. He was honored with the Jim Rhodes Memorial Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in Anne Arundel County . As a team captain in 2008, led team to the state semifinals and an 11-2 record and set Maryland state records for receiving yards (1,616) and tied state records for receptions (103) and touchdowns (23). Lemon also rushed for 215 yards on 27 carries and four touchdowns and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. As a safety, he had 30 tackles, intercepted six passes, including one he returned for a touchdown, and forced two fumbles, for coach Chuck Markiewicz. Lemon also earned letters in baseball and volunteers for the Arundel School Mentoring Program.
Charley Loeb earned 2008 NEPSAC All-New England Prep Class B Team honors playing for coach Michael Taylor. He completed 143-of-201 passes for 2,015 yards and 24 touchdowns leaading the team to a 7-1 record as a senior team captain in 2008. As a junior, he compiled 1,650 passing yards and threw 15 touchdown passes for the 7-1 Lawrence Academy team. In 2006, he had 1,500 yards passing and 12 touchowns and the team finished with a 5-3 mark. He also played baseball, basketball and lacrosse at Lawrence Academy.
Dale Peterman earned 2008 All-State First Team and 2008 All-Steel Valley Conference First Team honors and was selected to play in the 2009 Ohio North-South All-Star Game. He recorded 104 total tackles, including 60 solo, 13 pass breakups, nine interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, a 61-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown and one forced fumble, during his career at Ursuline High School. He also had 57 catches for 969 yards and eight touchdowns, returned 39 punts for 648 yards, including three touchdowns and posted 14 kick returns for 297 yards. In 2008, Ursuline ranked fifth in the state and had a 15-0 record under the direction of coach Daniel Reardon and Peterman contributed posted 81 tackles, seven interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, had three punt returns for touchdowns. He also returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown and had 27 catches for 550 yards and five touchdowns.
Andrew Phillips, who is rated the 10th-best prospect in New York State and the best prospect in the Syracuse/Central New York region, is a two-time New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA First Team All-State selection. As a senior team captain, Phillips was part of a line that blocked for 1,000-yard rusher Fajdir Jackson. Phillips and SU senior wide receiver Lavar Lobell played for head coach Joe Casamento at CBA.
Torian Phillips was named the 2008 New York City Player of the Year and New York State Coaches Association Co-Player of the Year, in addition to being selected to the 2008 New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA Second Team All-State team. He was also named to the Golden 50 Club, which includes the top 50 high school players in New York. During Phillips' four seasons, Port Richmond compiled a 31-6 record. He played an integral role on Port Richmond's 2008 state championship team that finished 13-0. It was the school's first state championship in the 40-year history of the program. Phillips tied the PSAL title-game record with four touchdowns in a 33-21 win against Fort Hamilton last season. As a senior captain, he gained 1,486 rushing yards, had 20 receptions and scored 34 touchdowns for coach Louis Vesce.
Justin Pugh, who was selected to play for Pennsylvania in the 2009 Big 33 All-Star Classic, earned the Maxwell Award, which is presented to the Top 50 high school scholar-athletes in the tri-state area (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware), recognizing athletics, academics and community service. He was also named to the 2008 Pennsylvania Football News All-State Second Team for defense and earned all-area and All-Suburban One League First Team honors as a junior and senior and named second-team all-area as a defensive lineman as a senior. Pugh, who ranks in the top 30 percent of his graduating class and is involved in Special Olympics and volunteers for Athletes Helping Athletes, earned the 2008 team MVP and defensive player of the year as a team captain for coach Vince Bedesem.
Brandon Sharpe earned 2008 All-Beach District First Team, All-Tidewater Second Team and All-Region Second Team honors after setting the school record with 16 sacks. He also recorded 70 tackles, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries for coach Chris Scott. Sharpe and Thomas led Ocean Lakes to a 12-1 record and the district title.
Phillip Thomas earned 2008 All-Dade County First Team and third-team All-State and has been invited to play in two county all-star games, including the Miami North vs. South game in which he returned an interception for a touchdown. In 2008, he recorded 85 tackles, including 58 solo, a county-leading eight interceptions, including two he returned for touchdowns, had two forced fumbles and recovered two fumbles. Thomas also returned punts and kickoffs, including two for touchdowns, and played wide receiver, where he scored three touchdowns. In 2008, he was a team captain and earned the team's Most Valuable Player award for coach Daryle Heidelburg.
Shamarko Thomas set school records in career tackles, interceptions and defensive touchdowns en route to earning 2008 All-State First Team, all-region and All-Tidewater recognition. He recorded a team-high 102 tackles, six interceptions, 11 pass break-ups and one blocked field goal as a senior team captain. Thomas also earned all-state honors in track competing in the 100-meter dash and as the anchor of the 4 x 100 relay that placed seventh in Virginia.
Andrew Tiller joins the Orange after playing for one season at Nassau Community College, where he earned 2008 JC Gridwire All-America honors. A high school standout, Tiller was named to the 2006 New York State Sportswriters Association All-State Class AA Team and earned the 2006 Zellner Award, presented to the most outstanding lineman in Suffolk County, after leading the way for the Central Islip offense to average 313 rushing yards per game. He also earned 2006 All-Suffolk County First Team honors and played in the 2007 Empire Challenge High School Football All-Star Game. As a senior, he posted 103 tackles as a senior defensive lineman, the fourth-best total in Long Island, and led all players in Long Island with 12 sacks, for coach George Powers.
The 2008 Orange begin Spring practice on March 23. The annual Spring game is set for Saturday, April 18 in the Carrier Dome.
