Pierson-El, the reigning Virginia AAA Patriot District offensive player of the year, visited North Carolina over spring break. His planned visit to Boston College got pre-empted by the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. He hopes to visit ODU in May and he wants to schedule a trip to Nebraska.
With several other area standouts having already committed, Pierson-El said he does not feel pressure to do likewise, particularly with the fresh offer from Nebraska, whose coaches envision the 5-foot-9, 175-pounder as a slot receiver and return man.
“I don’t feel like I have to commit to somebody,” said Pierson-El, who also was a first-team all-district choice at returner and defensive back. “Those guys’ recruitment started way before mine, so they’ve been to schools they want to go to and they chose theirs and they were comfortable with their choice. Mine is just starting to pick up.”
How much is Lake Braddock junior quarterback Caleb Henderson, a recent UNC commit who played his first two seasons at West Potomac, encouraging former teammate Pierson-El to commit to the Tar Heels?
“He’s definitely called me about UNC just about every other day or every other two,” said Pierson-El, a prospective physical therapy major. “He calls and leaves me messages. We’ve talked about going to the same college for years, but to actually have that chance, it’s real funny. But he understands I still want to see other schools and not just commit to a school because he committed to a school. He just wants the best for me.”
A lesser-known West Potomac player also is starting to gain attention. Junior outside linebacker-tight end Mychael Gyamfi, who missed most of last season with a broken collarbone, has caught the eye of several Football Championship Subdivision schools, Davis said.
NUMBER CRUNCH: 38
Consecutive outs recorded without allowing a hit in the two most recent pitching outings of Paul VI Catholic senior left-hander Braedon Lawson. He threw a six-inning no-hitter against Ireton and in his next appearance no-hit O’Connell for 6 and 2/3 innings.
PHOTOS FROM LAST NIGHT
BREAKFAST LINKS
— DeMatha pitcher Bradley Keith went 3 for 4 with a homer and struck out four batters in the last two innings of the No. 6 Stags’ 7-5 win at No. 3 Riverdale Baptist.
— Tuscarora‘s Angel Ceron-Garcia scored the lone goal in his team’s 1-0 win over Loudoun County to keep the Huskies unbeaten atop the Virginia AA Dulles District.
— South River senior Alex Watson, drawing on some personal inspiration, collected five goals and an assist to lead her sixth-ranked team to a 16-13 girls’ lacrosse win over No. 9 Severna Park.
— Potomac Falls senior left-hander James Pearson set the bar pretty high for himself by pitching a five-inning perfect game recently. He was not quite as sharp Tuesday but still hurled the Panthers to a 10-2 home win over Loudoun Valley.
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY
Baseball: South Lakes at No. 1 Madison baseball, 6:30 p.m.
Warhawks Coach Mark “Pudge” Gjormand is aiming for his 300th career win at the Vienna school. He had to wait at least an extra day; the game was rained out Tuesday. Madison has won the last eight games in the series.