Easley, McDermott sign letters of intent
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| Newton seniors Matt Easley (left) and Reid McDermott (right) sign national letters of intent to play college football at the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa Western Community College, respectively, during a signing ceremony at Newton Senior High School on Wednesday. (Mike Hockett/Daily News) |
A pair of Cardinals saw their athletic achievements come to fruition on Wednesday and took a big step toward their academic future.
Senior football standouts Matt Easley and Reid McDermott each signed college national letters of intent in the administration office of Newton Senior High School, and both will be staying in Iowa.
Easley accepted a preferred walk-on offer from the University of Northern Iowa, while McDermott accepted a scholarship to Iowa Western Community College.
Easley finished his Newton career as the most productive kicker in school history, while McDermott churned out loads of production as a year-year starter at linebacker and two-year starter at slot back/wide receiver.
Upon signing their letters of intent and making their college choice official, both players said it was a relief to have it over with.
“It’s been a long process the past couple years and especially the past couple months, really narrowing down where I was going to go,” Easley said. “I feel like I’ve definitely landed at a school that was in my top couple schools in the first place, so it feels awesome.”
“It’s definitely a good feeling,” McDermott added. “It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders. I had a lot of colleges calling me, so it’s just good to know where I’m going, and I’m excited for this process to be over.”
SFlbMatt Easley
Easley was a second-team all-state honoree in Class 3A by the Des Moines Register and IowaPreps.com, and was a third-team pick by the Iowa Newspaper Association. He was also a unanimous first-team all-district pick. He turned down a scholarship offer from Division II Northwest Missouri State to accept the preferred walk-on offer at UNI.
“UNI just kind of felt like home,” he said. “The offer from Northwest Missouri State was awesome. They have a great program, but UNI just felt right. I liked the school a lot, and they have a strong program for my major.”
Easley said he wants to major in exercise science, with hopes of one day becoming a strength and conditioning coordinator for a college football team.
Easley’s 2011 and career numbers speak for themselves. He made 10-of-15 field goals this past season, went 23-of-24 on extra points and led the district with 23 touchbacks on kickoffs. In the season finale at Norwalk, he became the first Newton kicker to ever make four field goals in a game. His 10 field goals were a single-season school record, and his 18 career makes are Newton’s all-time mark by 10. His placekicking holder the past two years was none other than McDermott.
“It’s been a blast. I couldn’t ask for any better situation to kick in,” Easley said of his time as a Cardinal. “They let me kick a lot, which is unusual for high school. It’s been great having a good holder and a good line. I was able to make a lot of kicks.”
Easley also took visits to the University of Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois State and North Dakota State.
Easley said he plans to redshirt his first year at UNI. Panthers’ sophomore kicker Tyler Sieverstson was an All-American this past season and will be a senior once Easley begins his redshirt freshman season. Easley said UNI has another kicker who will be a redshirt freshman next year that he’ll likely compete with for the starting spot over the next few years.
“When he makes it big, I’ll be able to say, ‘I know Matt Easley,’” McDermott said.
UNI is coming off a 10-3 season, a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA FCS Quarterfinals. The Panthers have finished six of the last 11 seasons ranked in the top five nationally.
Reid McDermott
While Easley will head east to Cedar Rapids, McDermott is headed west to Council Bluffs to join the Reivers of Iowa Western.
Iowa Western is a two-year community college that competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association as part of the Midwest Football Conference. The Reivers have gone 9-2 the past two seasons, winning the conference in 2010 and finishing second in 2011 along with a bowl game win.
If there’s one word to describe McDermott as a football player, it’s versatile.
He rarely came off the field for the Cardinals this season. He was a unamimous first-team all-district choice at outside linebacker, recording 32.5 total tackles, including 27 solo and three for a loss. He had one sack, one interception, four pass breakups and one safety.
He also was a frequent target at wide receiver down the stretch, finishing second to teammate Colin Reynolds in the district for receptions with 45. He and Reynolds are tied for the single-game receptions mark with 16. McDermott finished with 397 yards receiving, and is the school’s all-time receptions leader with 58.
McDermott was also one of the district’s top punters, averaging 37.9 yards a kick in 2011 on 36 attempts, with 11 of them downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
“He’s one of those kids that just gets it and understands what you’re trying to do, and he has the athletic ability to go and do it,” Newton head coach Ed Ergenbright said. “He could have played running back or defensive back if we needed him to. We’re really going to miss him next year.”
McDermott could have went with a 4-year, Division III college, but said he chose Iowa Western because he hopes to transfer to a school like UNI once his two JUCO years are done.
“It came down to Wisconsin-Platteville and Iowa Western,” he said. “Platteville’s a great school. I just felt like, maybe after my two years at Iowa Western. I’ll be going Division I like Matt. It’s going to be a good experience. I’ll be doing this recruiting process again in two years.”
McDermott said he’ll be an outside linebacker at Iowa Western, and looks to add some weight to his current 6-foot, 191-pound frame. He was listed at 180 pounds on the Cardinals’ roster.
“Ever since football ended I’ve been hitting the weights and have been doing some sprints here and there,” he said. “I’m doing track to gain my top speed and get more agility. After track’s done I’ll be hitting the weights again in the summer.”
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