On Thursday, April 12, 2012, Central Bucks West seniors Anthony Ponente, Dan Sergeyev and Justin Rowley were recognized at a special news conference for signing letters of intent to play football at the collegiate level.
“Days like this are great for me because we love working hard and trying to win games, but ultimately, high school sports is about helping high school athletes get to the next level,” coach Brian Hensel said. “That next level is not just participation in athletics, but being able to realize the opportunity to go on to college and participate in the college experience, both academically and athletically.
“These guys are all going to great schools and have great opportunities. Fortunately for the schools they are going too, they’re getting three neat kids.
“We didn’t have a large senior class this year, but the guys that carried us were our big men. We had some good skills guys too – I don’t want to put those guys down, but our big men were the core of what we were counting on this year to be successful. Now they’re all going to have an opportunity to move on and play at the next level. We’ll miss them. We have some big shoes we have to fill with those guys graduating and moving on, but we’re happy for them.”
Anthony Pomente – East Stroudsburg University (Football)
Major: Criminal Justice
Final list of colleges: East Stroudsburg, Millersville, West Chester, Shippensburg, Wesley, Delaware Valley
Reasons for choosing East Stroudsburg: “I just really loved East Stroudsburg when I went up there. Coach (Denny) Dowds is a great man. He’s a big reason for my decision.”
When did the idea of playing collegiate football start becoming a reality? “I got some letters from bigger schools early on, but I hurt my knee a little bit, so I thought it was mainly Division Three, but I got some contacts from Division Two. I decided East Stroudsburg was the best fit for me. I have wanted to play college football for a long time. I couldn’t imagine going to school and not playing football.”
Coach Brian Hensel says: “East Stroudsburg has a top flight program, and he’s going to be able to contribute for those guys. He did a lot for us over the past three years. He started off his career with us missing the first five weeks of the season with a concussion. His very first high school contest was with Washington High School in Philadelphia, and he went against Sharrif Floyd, who went on to start as a freshman at the University of Florida. That was Anthony’s first taste of high school football. He came back off that concussion, worked real hard and did a great job for us.
“He has the physical body that you say, ‘Man, if this kid develops, we’ll have someone great,’ and fortunately for us, he did develop on both sides of the ball. This was the year of the linemen for us.”
About Anthony:
Favorite food: Everything but green vegetables
Favorite movie: Tremors
Favorite music: Waka Flocka
Justin Rowley – Wilkes University (Football)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Wilkes, King’s, Susquehanna
Reasons for choosing Wilkes: “I really liked the feel of the campus when I was there, and the money situation worked out well. All the premises they are based around – hard work and everything – I really like that and their tradition in athletics.”
When did the idea of playing collegiate football start becoming a reality? “After my junior year. My sophomore year I had no intention of playing, and I didn’t really think about it. Once my junior year rolled around I started thinking about playing college football, and my senior year I really wanted it. I couldn’t imagine not continuing. I would miss it too much.”
Coach Brian Hensel says: “Justin Rowley had been snakebitten with nagging injuries in his freshman, sophomore and junior years that just kept him off the field. It helped me grow as a coach because I’ve never had a season-ending injury myself, so it helped me put some perspective on where a 16-year-old kid is mentally when they’re dealing with injuries.
“He saw an opportunity for himself, and he worked his tail off between the end of his junior year and all the way through the end of his senior year. Our coaches saw it too. Here’s a kid who didn’t see the field until his senior year, and he was a two-way, all-league player.
“He’s a blue collar kid that knows he’s got to punch that clock and put that time in. As coaches, you love that, and you want to see that kind of success story because in today’s era everything is about that immediate gratification. Everyone wants things right now, and we have all become accustomed to that. You see someone put the time and work into it – one of our mottos is ‘Hard work always pays off somewhere down the road.’ He exemplifies that to a ‘T.’
About Justin:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: Fast and Furious
Favorite music: Anything
Dan Sergeyev – McDaniel College (Football)
Major: Biology
Final list of colleges: McDaniel, Holy Cross, Case Western Reserve
Reasons for choosing McDaniel: “I got a full tuition scholarship for McDaniel, and that kind of made the decision for me.”
When did the idea of playing collegiate football start becoming a reality? “At the end of my junior season, I started getting letters and recruiting e-mails. I had no intention of playing college sports, and when that happened, it changed everything.”
Coach Brian Hensel says: “We knew from day one when Dan walked in that he would be something special. The first time I met Dan we saw his enthusiasm, and it just overflowed. He was one of the first guys we met when we took over the program. We loved his work ethic, and you could tell right away just speaking with him that he was highly intellectual. For an all-state defensive lineman to be awarded a full academic scholarship – to me, that’s what you want. We love winning games and working toward winning a championship, but ultimately, it’s about bettering ourselves as individuals in the classroom and on the athletic field. When Dan gave me that news, it was one of the best pieces of news I heard as a coach.”
About Dan:
Favorite food: Lasagna
Favorite movie: V for Vendetta
Favorite music: Kid Cudi
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