College football recruiting has become big business.
ESPN was able to devote an entire day to covering National Signing Day on their family of networks.
They showed footage of high school seniors putting on hats and helmets. They showed footage of a kid who had faked his own recruitment to sign in front of a packed gymnasium. They showed footage of a prized quarterback who wasn’t signing anything at all, just announcing that he would be announcing at another time.
At Lake Orion High School, nothing happened.
It’s not that there weren’t players to sign. School was just closed because of a power outage that morning.
Over the past few years, there have been plenty of players garnering interest from the next level. This year was no different.
Last week, offensive linemen Ethan Ruhland (Michigan State) and Taylor Phillips (Ferris State), quarterback Chris Lum (Lehigh), defensive back Blaine Stormer (Northern Michigan) and punter Jacob Linklater (Central Michigan) became the latest group to make the jump, as they were honored at halftime of a Dragons basketball game.
Coach Chris Bell said a few players could also end up with Division III schools.
For those honored last week, no one garnered more attention in the recruiting ranks than Ruhland.
He anchored an offensive line that included three of the team’s six captains. Phillips and Spencer Murphy were the others.
‘If you have a good offensive line, you have a good offense,? Bell said. ‘Those guys are as dependable and hard-working as you can get.?
The coach said Ruhland was a ‘slam dunk? because of his size and ability.
‘The other guys, it’s the way they played that opened a lot of doors for them,? Bell said. ‘As coaches, it’s one of the proudest things in the world to see their hard work pay off.?
That ‘hard work? mantra is something the players refer to as being ‘Orion tough.?
It’s one of the reasons the team hasn’t had a losing season in the last 11 years. It’s one of the reasons that there is sure to be another ceremony at LOHS next year for the next crop of players. It’s one of the reasons the crowd cheered last Tuesday when the first five signees of 2008 and their parents were announced.
‘It means our kids are good students. They do all the little things,? Bell said. ‘When our teams are successful, that helps draw attention to the guys.?
Who knows, maybe ESPN will even stop by one of these years.