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8/13/06-Football
Dionte Allen's commitment won't be last for St. Mary's gridders
BY MIKE ROSENBAUM OF THE OBSERVER AND ECCENTRIC
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There's a large pool of senior football talent at Orchard Lake St. Mary's this year. College recruiters from across the country have been trying for months -- in some cases for years -- to reel some of that talent in, with particular attention being paid to Dionte Allen, the biggest fish in the St. Mary's pond.
So far, two Eaglets have taken the bait.
On Tuesday Allen, a cornerback/wide receiver, verbally committed to play at Florida State University. Allen made his decision earlier that day and phoned Florida State coach Bobby Bowden in the evening with the news.
Fellow receiver/defensive back Taurian Washington -- who'll play offense in college -- is scheduled to announce his college decision this week, although it's widely known that he verbally committed to Ohio State in late July.
Allen, one of the nation's most highly-recruited players, will play corner in college. He took unofficial visits to Florida State, the University of Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State before making his choice. In a way, however, his decision was made more than 12 years earlier. His July visit to Tallahassee only confirmed what he already felt.
"I always wanted to go to Florida State," Allen said. "It's always been my dream school. When I went down there I liked the program they were conducting. I can get a degree down there. It just was everything I thought it would be."
Allen became an FSU fan when he was "five or six," he said, adding that he admired the Seminoles' style of play and some of their star athletes. "I always liked Deion Sanders and Peter Warrick."
Allen discussed his decision with his parents as well as St. Mary's coaches, who advised him to "do what's best for you and what you feel in your heart," Allen related. This echoed the advice that Allen has given some of his fellow St. Mary's recruits.
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"I tell them to go with your heart," Allen said. "When you go to a school, you're going to know that that's you, that it fits you. I can't really tell any of my players where to go. I'll have a suggestion, but you may not be feeling the same thing that I'm feeling. But I just tell them to go with your heart and just be patient, work hard, and anything can happen."
Allen is entering his fourth year on the St. Mary's varsity. He started two games as a freshman. As a sophomore, he not only became a full-time starter, but a team captain as well. He'll serve his third season as a captain this year.
Allen said his early commitment to FSU will allow him to "concentrate on my senior year. Being a leader. Getting my team prepared and having my team work hard."
Washington, who transferred from Detroit St. Martin DePorres after that school closed in 2005, reportedly chose Ohio State ahead of Michigan, while holding offers from most of the Big 10. He'll join former Eaglet Aaron Gant in Columbus next year.
St. Mary's officials had hoped that the school's top recruits would make their college selections before the Eaglets begin their season, Aug. 26 against visiting Detroit Martin Luther King. But the third member of the school's top three recruits, quarterback Justin Siller, doesn't appear ready to make his choice.
On Tuesday, Siller -- another DePorres transplant -- reported eight scholarship offers, from Purdue, Minnesota, Northwestern, Indiana, Illinois, Louisville, Bowling Green and Toledo. He's also visited Ohio State unofficially, as evidenced by the OSU T-shirt he wore to St. Mary's practice, although Siller cautioned that the shirt "doesn't mean anything."
Siller, who remains open to further offers, doesn't have a favorite among the eight schools who've offered him so far.
"Everybody's pretty much closely tied together, since I haven't gone out and seen a lot of the schools yet," he explained. "But I think once I get out and see the schools I'll have a better idea."
Siller expects to take the maximum of five official visits that recruits are permitted under NCAA rules.
"If I go to a place and I love it there, and it's the place for me, then I'll make the decision," Siller said. "But for right now, it doesn't look like I'm going to make (a decision) right now."
At least one other Eaglet senior appears headed for Division I football. Linebacker Alex Delisi has just one offer so far -- from Illinois -- but he's generated interest from all the Big 10 schools, as well as Boston College, Penn and Lehigh. He's not expecting to make a quick decision either.
"A lot of schools want to see me in action," Delisi explained. "So this senior year is really big."
Delisi termed the recruiting process "exciting. Not everybody has the opportunity to go through it. So I feel blessed."
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