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9/14/05-Football
De Porres star starts over at St. Mary's
QB, who lead Detroit school to title game last year, is off to great start at Orchard Lake
By Tim Twentyman / The Detroit News
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ORCHARD LAKE -- Justin Siller was forced to leave his teammates, friends and everything he knew when Detroit De Porres High School closed at the end of last year.
Siller, a 6-foot-4 junior quarterback, is starting over at Orchard Lake St. Mary's Preparatory High, but is up to his same old tricks on the football field.
Siller threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns, leading De Porres to the Division 7 championship game last year. He is off to a great start for the 3-0 Eaglets this season, completing 29-of-35 passes for 561 yards and seven touchdowns. He is on pace to surpass his terrific sophomore numbers at De Porres.
"I think I am reading the defenses a little better this year and I'm just more experienced," Siller said.
Siller is living the dorm life at St. Mary's. He has no car and is waiting to take drivers training, so he is staying on campus. Adjusting to his new life is made easier by the acceptance of his peers and teammates.
"It was a long process with De Porres closing, but I'm happy that I picked Orchard Lake. They treat me as family here and welcomed me with open arms," Siller said. "All the coaches, players and students have made me feel right at home.
"The coaching style is pretty different here than what I had at De Porres. Out here (St. Mary's), they focus on team a little more. Coach stresses team, team, team and we play as a big family."
St. Mary's coach George Porritt sees a lot of former St. Mary's standout Jermaine Gonzales (University of Michigan) in Siller.
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"He definitely reminds me of Jermaine Gonzales. He has a lot of the attributes that Jermaine had," Porritt said. "He is big and strong and is an intelligent young man who makes good decisions on the football field. The sky is the limit for him if he works hard and does the right things."
Scouts and college coaches are making those same comparisons. Siller is being heavily recruited by Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Indiana and Notre Dame.
"With Justin it is a case of a kid with a big-time arm that can also run and make people miss," said Josh Helmholdt, recruiting analyst for michiganpreps.com. "He is a very polished signal caller for a junior and is in the mold of a Vince Young down at the University of Texas. He was invited to the prestigious Nike Camp this summer and wowed a lot of people with his arm."
Siller has the benefit of playing with probably the most talented set of skill position players in the area. Siller's running backs and wide receivers run sub-4.5 40-yard dash times. With his size and strength and those types of weapons on the edge, Siller and St. Mary's could be a championship caliber team.
"Justin has stepped his game up a lot from last year to this year," said running back Anthony Bowman, who also transferred to St. Mary's from De Porres. "I love playing with the guy and he is a great player."
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