Scenes from Signing Day: Shore Conference football players make their college commitments
*Anyone wishing to report an FBS, FCS or Division 2 signing or to send a picture can email bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com*
February 6 is the beginning of the NCAA's regular signing period for Division 1 and 2 football players, and several Shore Conference gridiron standouts made their college plans official on Wednesday.
The early signing period was from Dec. 19 to Dec. 21 and many players signed their National Letters of Intent then, including six FBS signees. While Feb. 6 is the beginning of the regular signing period, football players in Division 1 have until April 1 to sign their NLI while Division 2 recruits can sign up until August 1.
At Red Bank Catholic, linebacker Steve Cmielewski signed with Division 2 Stonehill College, safety Anthony Romano signed with former Division 2 and first-year FCS program Long Island University, defensive lineman Tommy Smith signed with FCS Sacred Heart and kicker/punter Ryan O'Hara signed with Lafayette, which is also an FCS program. Additionally, wide receiver/defensive back Jaden Key will continue his career at the University of Pennsylvania. Student-athletes are not able to receive athletic scholarships to Ivy League schools and therefore do not sign NLI.
Ocean also had wide receiver/defensive back Alex Bryant sign with Wagner College.
Long Branch offensive lineman Kevin Cerruit signed with FCS Rhode Island. Cerruti was a first-team All-Shore selection who helped the Green Wave win two NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 titles.
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Congratulations to KEVIN “Big Country” CERRUTI on signing his National Letter of Intent to play Football at the University of Rhode Island in the Fall of 2019. #athleticscholarship #hardworkpaysoffs #collegefootball #athleticdreams #wavepride #waveathletics A post shared by Jason M. Corley, CMAA (@waveathletics) on
Barnegat linebacker Brian Ewan will continue his career at Sacred Heart University and lineman Anthony Grimes will head to Kutztown University.
Ranney's Chris Autino played only one season of football via the school's co-op with Mater Dei but turned that into an FCS offer from Georgetown, which he signed on Wednesday.
Joining Autino were his Mater Dei football teammates linebacker Russell Ferris (LIU-Post), wide receiver Isaiah Alston (Army West Point), quarterback Rob McCoy (Sacred Heart), offensive lineman Nolan Aloia (Fordham) and kicker/punter Gavin Toth (Southern Connecticut State University).
They join the Boston College duo of defensive lineman Izaiah Henderson and linebacker Shitta Sillah, who signed in December.
Shore Regional lineman Vin DiMaio signed on with Division 2 Assumption College.
At Rumson, offensive lineman Spencer Short signed with the University of Colorado, linebacker Christian Lanzalotto signed with Bentley and wide receiver Jackson McCarthy signed with William and Mary.
Red Bank defensive lineman Ka'Shaun Turner, a first-team All-Shore selection, signs with East Stroudsburg.
Managing editor Bob Badders can be reached at bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights.