2010 DB Peckich recaps season, recruiting

Information is still coming in on the top prospects in the Class of 2010, and one to keep an eye on is McKees Rocks (Pa) Montour cornerback Phil Peckich.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound corner is built well and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds. He's coming off a strong junior season, during which he caught the eye of several college coaches.

"As far as my season is concerned, I played well on both offense and defense," he said. "My team finished 6-5 and we lost a couple of close games that we should have won. We lost in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. We were down 21-0 with 39 seconds left in the third quarter.

"Our quarterback and Notre Dame's recruit E.J. Banks got hurt and I was forced to play quarterback. I hadn't played quarterback in a live game situation since seventh grade and had a limited amount of time there in practice.

"I brought us back by throwing two touchdowns and rushing for one in one quarter of play against the number three team in the state.

"Going into overtime it was 28-28 and they got the ball first. They scored and kicked the extra point, and on the first play from the 10-yard line I ran it to the one and then I scored on the next play to make it 35-34. We chose to go for two, and when I ran an option to the right I pitched off the defensive end and our running back came up an inch short."

Despite the heartbreaking nature of the loss, which ended Montour's season, Peckich proved to himself and a lot of others that he has the talent and the heart to make it big at the college level. For the game he finished 7-of-8 for 137 yards in addition to rushing for 67 yards.

What schools is he looking at?

"I have medium interest in Alabama, Cincinnati, Duke, Miami, Ohio State, West Virginia, Rutgers, Stanford, Illinois, Penn State, Pitt, Michigan State and Maryland," he said. "That's not in order and it's not a final list at all.

"I've taken unofficial visits to Ohio State and West Virginia. I went to Ohio State for the Penn State game a few weeks ago and liked it a lot. The atmosphere was great and so were the people. I really like the coaches up at Ohio State as well. I went to their camp in the summer and won MVP. That was big to make a name for myself.

"I liked West Virginia also. I went to the Marshall and Cincinnati games there. My father played at Cincinnati from 1978-1982 and he holds a lot of their punting records at the university.

"I believe I'm going to take a visit this weekend and go up to watch Cincinnati play Pitt. I was supposed to go down to Maryland this past Saturday but there was a death in the family.

"I think the whole process is going to heat up in the next few months here and I hope to receive an offer."