Gar-Field graduate heads to Delaware State

With each passing month, Ernest Adjei became more and more dependent on the belief that his Gar-Field High School football coaches knew what they were doing when it came to trying to land him a college football scholarship.
Adjei had wanted to play at either the Division I or the Football Championship Subdivision level, but coming into the summer he did not have the qualifying test score needed to meet minimum eligibility requirements for either one.
There were Division II schools interested in signing the linebacker, but Indian head coach Tom Gryder and defensive coordinator Gary Wortham convinced Adjei something would work out to fulfill his dream.
Through networking and persistence combined with Adjei getting the score he needed, Gryder and Wortham were able to secure Adjei a spot with Delaware State. The process went down to the wire, but Adjei left Monday for school, where he will sign his papers to finalize the decision. Practice begins Tuesday.
“It’s a good situation for him,” Gryder said. “He’s deserving. He’s been very patient.”
Gryder was aware of the possibility that Delaware State might have a last-second opening at linebacker. Wortham, who is friends with Delaware State’s defensive coordinator Rayford Petty, kept tabs on the situation, waiting for official word of when a spot might become available.
If Adjei was unable to play at a four-year college, the backup plan was to send him to either the postgraduate programs at Hargrave or Fork Union military academies.
“By this point, most schools have filled their quota, but you never want to give up,” Gryder said. “We wanted to do whatever we could do to prepare him.”
Athletically, Adjei was an attractive prospect. At 6-1, 220 pounds, Adjei earned second-team all-Northwest Region honors and was named the Cardinal District Co-Defensive MVP last season after totaling 99 tackles, eight sacks and 18 tackles for loss.
But while Division I and FCS programs were interested in Adjei, they backed off because of his tenuous academic situation.
Adjei took the ACT in June to attempt to get his qualifying score. When he received word that he had qualified, he was ecstatic.
“I was pretty happy,” Adjei said. “I was jumping around.”
For his first semester at Delaware State, Adjei will receive a half scholarship with the school covering the remaining expenses with financial aid, Gryder said. In January at the start of the second semester, Adjei will receive a full athletic scholarship.
Adjei has good company in going to Delaware State. Potomac High School graduate George Bansah is also at the school.
“He’s like a brother to me,” Adjei said.
OFFICIAL OFFERS ON THE WAY
Osbourn Park High School junior Dominique Terrell received word last week that the University of Tennessee plans on extending him an official written offer when Division I and FCS schools can do so for juniors, starting Sept. 1.
The Volunteers are one of a number of colleges who have said they will also extend an official written offer.
Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Liberty and Richmond are the others. Terrell’s father Zach said that only Virginia plans on recruiting Terrell as a quarterback. The other schools are looking at Terrell as an athlete.
Rated the No. 1 junior in the state by VirginiaPreps.com, Terrell threw for 696 yards and ran for 920 more last season. He also returned three kicks for touchdowns.
MARSHALL AT FORK UNION
Miguel Marshall, a 2009 Forest Park High School graduate, will attend Fork Union and play for the school’s postgraduate team, Bruin head football coach Charlie Chandler said.
Marshall had signed with the Virginia Military Institute, but failed to qualify academically for admission.
By going to Fork Union, Marshall’s recruitment will open back up, meaning he could sign with another school besides VMI if he so chooses.