Making A Commitment

Three weeks from today the most highly-recruited football player in the history of Monsignor Donovan High School will sign his national letter of intent with a school in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

However Brad Henson will not be heading to the University of Virginia as originally planned but will sign with the University of North Carolina.

The 6’5, 275 pound offensive lineman had verbally committed to the Cavaliers before his senior season began but de-committed after a visit to Chapel Hill last month combined with some changes to the UVA coaching staff.

North Carolina had always been in the recruiting mix and even after Henson announced he was going to Virginia coaches from UNC remained in contact with him.  Once he visited the campus and school and met with the coaching staff the Tar Heels moved to the top of his list and among the other schools that he strongly considered were Miami, Wisconsin and Boston College.

North Carolina Head coach Larry Fedora made an in-home visit to the Henson’s on Sunday and also in attendance was Donovan head coach Dan Duddy.

I sort of have this unwritten rule that I won’t go to a high school basketball game for 15 days after the WOBM Christmas Classic comes to an end.  After watching 52 games over 7 days during the holiday season I need my own break and it officially ended last night when I saw Christmas Classic champion Toms River North pull away in the second half for an 18-point victory over Toms River South.

Damien Singleton scored a game-high 18 points for the Mariners but the difference-maker was Solly Stansbury, who emerged from foul trouble to score 13 points, grab 9 rebounds and block 7 shots.  North is in a three-way tie with Southern and Jackson Memorial in a Class A South race that should go down to the wire.

I’m going to reserve final judgment on Lance Armstrong until I watch his much talked about interview with Orpah Winfrey later in the week.  However his fall from grace is about as complete as one could be and there is not a public relations firm in the world that could rebuild his image into a positive one.