Tag: Rutgers

by Mike Pavlichko

Hillsborough’s Amankwaa gets offer from Rutgers, verbals to Knights, all within 48 hours

Hillsborough standout wide receiver/cornerback Tommy Ammankwaa had numerous Division I football offers as of Friday afternoon. Among the most prominent were two from Power 5 conference schools: Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

But there was one more he appeared to be waiting for, and he got it Saturday before Rutgers’ game against Delaware.

Just after 2:30 Saturday afternoon, less than an hour before kickoff, Amankwaa tweeted the news:

And then, Sunday, he jumped on the opportunity:

In his tweet, Amankwaa said he’s been “praying for this day to come,” and thanked “god (sic), my family, my coaches, my friends and their families, and this community for cheering me on and watching me grow up throughout the years and believing in me.

“I am proud to announce that I will be staying home to further my academic and athletic career at Rutgers University.”

Amankwaa was the Week 2 Bellamy & Son Player of the Week on Central Jersey Sports Radio, scoring two critical touchdowns and a two-point conversion to tie Phillipsburg in a top ten clash two weeks ago, then sealing the win in overtime with an interception.

READ MORE: Big plays in big spots earn Hillsborough’s Tommy Amankwaa Week Two Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Honors

He has 10 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a new wrinkle and sometimes lining up at runningback, where he has 17 carries for 186 yards.

In three years as a starter, he has 72 catches for 1,566 yards and 18 touchdowns, and is poised for a big season with veteran QB Jay Mazuera leading an offense that includes bruising senior Tyler Michinard at runningback.

The Raiders are 3-0 and ranked third in the Central Jersey Sports Radio Top Ten.

RU’s recruiting class for 2022 is ranked 19th in the nation and 4th in the Big Ten by 247sports, which doesn’t yet list Amankwaa among 15 commitments. The Knights’ class is ranked 16th in the country by Sports Illustrated.

Hillsborough has sent numerous players to the Division I football ranks over the years, and even on to the NFL. Among the most notable, Ricky Proehl (’86) went to Wake Forest and played 17 years in the league. he went to four Super Bowls and won two, one with the Rams as part of the “Greatest Show on Turf” and another with the Colts.

And, of course, there’s Shaun O’Hara, who started as a walk-on at Rutgers but eventually received a scholarship, then made his way to the Giants, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler and won Super Bowl XLII with Big Blue. He’s now a color analyst for NFL Network and ESPN Radio.

by Mike Pavlichko

Murphy extends parent/guardian fan admission to college athletics, to open other sports venues to limited fans next week

New Jersey Governor Murphy last week opened up high school athletic venues to two parents/guardians per student-athlete, with three weeks left in Season 2, which includes high school basketball.

Now, he’s extending that allowance to college sports – like Rutgers – as long as capacity limits aren’t exceeded, effective immediately.

He made the announcement around 11:30 this morning on the Moose and Maggie show on WFAN 660 AM in New York.

In addition, Murphy is allowing all sports – professional and college – and entertainment venues with a capacity of 5,000 or more o open to ten percent capacity effective Monday, March 1 at 6 am. Outdoor venues can open to 15 percent. The opening also affects entertainment venues such as concert halls and amphitheaters.

That means for the Prudential Center in Newark, which has a hockey capacity of 16,500, as many as 1,650 fans could potentially be allowed.

Parents and guardians will be able to attend the last men’s basketball home game of the year – Wednesday against Indiana – and the last women’s home game of the year, which is slated for March 4th or 5th against Ohio State.

But while the Governor said on the ‘FAN that opening all indoor venues to ten percent capacity could allow the general public to go to games at the RAC, it’s too little to late, and a moot point at the same time.

Wednesday’s last home game for the Rutgers men falls before the new regulations go into effect. The women’s team’s last game comes after the new rules take effect, but the Big Ten has not been allowing fans all season, in order to keep a level playing field among teams in states with varying degrees of regulation.

CLICK HERE to listen to Murphy’s full interview with Moose and Maggie on WFAN.

New York recently announced it would open sports venues to limited capacity as well, with the first to be the Barclays Center for a Brooklyn Nets game Tuesday But while fans there will be required to show negative PCR tests, Murphy said such a requirement will not be in effect in New Jersey.

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers adds 23 on Early Signing Day; Union’s Igbinosun among 11 from Jersey

by Mike Pavlichko

Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano used his typical mid-week game week press conference today to unveil a 23-member recruiting class that features eleven from the talent-rich Garden State, and 14 early enrolees.

All have signed their National Letter of Intent on the first day of the Early Signing Period.

Only one played in the Big Central Conference this past season, Union’s Desmond Igbinosun, listed by Rutgers as a 6-3, 200-pound defensive back.

READ MORE: Desmond Igbinosun recaps Union season, Rutgers commitment

The class also includes three players each from Ohio and Florida, two from Pennsylvania and one each from Maryland, Virginia, Illinois and Colorado.

Click below to hear Greg Schiano’s meeting with the media on Early National Letter of Intent Signing Day:

by Mike Pavlichko

AUDIO: Rutgers QB decision an “ongoing competition” that’s coming into focus

With just two weeks to go before the start of the season, Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano says “I’m a little more informed today than I was at this time last week,” but still hasn’t made a decision on a starting quarterback.

Schiano made those comments to the media on a weekly virtual conference call with reporters Monday.

“We’ll let the string play out and that’s how we’re going to play it,” says Schiano.

Either way, he says he’ll be adaptable to whatever comes out of the ultimate decision, and unafraid to change it if need be.

Click below to hear the full conference call.