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PITTSBURG —
Most of the time when players sign letters of intent, they look more like Girard’s Tom Castellani than the Trojans’ Matt Perez. Perez was listed in the 2011 football program as 5-foot-7, 153 pounds, but that may be generous.
At any size and shape, Castellani and Perez will continue to be teammates next year, as both signed national letters of intent on Thursday to play at Fort Scott Community College.
“I’ll be watching to see what that brings them,” said Girard head coach Leon Miller. “This is a proud day for the Girard football team.”
Perez ran for more than 1,000 yards in two straight seasons for the Trojans. In 2011, he had 157 carries for 1,071 yards, for a 6.82 yards per carry average. He averaged 119 yards per game on the ground.
That was a solid growth from the year before, in which he had 165 carries for 1,061 yards for 6.43 yards per carry. He averaged 117.9 yards per game in 2010. In both seasons, he had 10 touchdowns rushing, but he also had 80 yards receiving and one touchdown in 2010. In 2010, he also added 26 tackles and three interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.
Perez couldn’t have had as many yards rushing if it weren’t for the blocking of Tom Castellani.
Castellani was part of a Girard line that opened holes for Girard rushers to gain 2,802 yards and 32 touchdowns. Rushers averaged 6.62 yards per carry and gained more than 300 yards per game.
Castellani played defensive line, too, racking up 65 tackles and three sacks over two years. He said that at FSCC, he will likely stick to the offensive line, specifically offensive guard.
“They’d like to have me pull on blocks more often,” he said. “They had a great facility. I kind of fell in love with them at the start. The coaches were nice, the players were nice. I liked it from the beginning.”
Coach Miller has long described Perez as an asset to his team. In a story in the Morning Sun in October 2010, Miller said the diminutive Perez is no small figure on the football field.
“His lower body strength is a strength for him,” Miller said. “He’s tough to tackle. Sometimes people hit him high and they can get him over. Hitting him low, he seems to deflect that. His size benefits him because he gets lost inside before tacklers can get a bead on him.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.
Most of the time when players sign letters of intent, they look more like Girard’s Tom Castellani than the Trojans’ Matt Perez. Perez was listed in the 2011 football program as 5-foot-7, 153 pounds, but that may be generous.
At any size and shape, Castellani and Perez will continue to be teammates next year, as both signed national letters of intent on Thursday to play at Fort Scott Community College.
“I’ll be watching to see what that brings them,” said Girard head coach Leon Miller. “This is a proud day for the Girard football team.”
Perez ran for more than 1,000 yards in two straight seasons for the Trojans. In 2011, he had 157 carries for 1,071 yards, for a 6.82 yards per carry average. He averaged 119 yards per game on the ground.
That was a solid growth from the year before, in which he had 165 carries for 1,061 yards for 6.43 yards per carry. He averaged 117.9 yards per game in 2010. In both seasons, he had 10 touchdowns rushing, but he also had 80 yards receiving and one touchdown in 2010. In 2010, he also added 26 tackles and three interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.
Perez couldn’t have had as many yards rushing if it weren’t for the blocking of Tom Castellani.
Castellani was part of a Girard line that opened holes for Girard rushers to gain 2,802 yards and 32 touchdowns. Rushers averaged 6.62 yards per carry and gained more than 300 yards per game.
Castellani played defensive line, too, racking up 65 tackles and three sacks over two years. He said that at FSCC, he will likely stick to the offensive line, specifically offensive guard.
“They’d like to have me pull on blocks more often,” he said. “They had a great facility. I kind of fell in love with them at the start. The coaches were nice, the players were nice. I liked it from the beginning.”
Coach Miller has long described Perez as an asset to his team. In a story in the Morning Sun in October 2010, Miller said the diminutive Perez is no small figure on the football field.
“His lower body strength is a strength for him,” Miller said. “He’s tough to tackle. Sometimes people hit him high and they can get him over. Hitting him low, he seems to deflect that. His size benefits him because he gets lost inside before tacklers can get a bead on him.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.
