Ayres eager to hit the road

After a season in which Salisbury (Md.) Wicomico lost in the first round of the playoffs, running back, Dontea Ayres is happy about how the team is progressing and is excited about the future.

"The past few years our team has been down a little and we're trying to get back to the winning tradition we're used to around here," said the 5-foot-9, 205-pound Ayres. "I learned a lot and the season was very successful for me. I really adjusted to the speed of the game and became a leader. Next year is looking great because we have a lot of players returning."

In the off-season, Ayres knows what he wants to improve about his game.

"I want to get faster," said Ayres. "You can never have too much speed."

Ayres, who already has an offer from Duke, spoke about the current status of his recruiting process.

"I've been hearing from Penn State, Maryland, Stanford, Duke, Michigan State, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin," explained Ayres. "I haven't been to any schools yet so I really don't know much about them yet.

Ayres has a good group of supporters and he seems to have a good idea of what he is looking for in a school.

"Academics and the type of offense the team uses are the major factors in my recruitment," he said. "I need to be able to get playing time and fit with the offense they run. "

Recruiting is sure to heat up for Ayres, but he is keeping his eye out for one particular school.

"Alabama is my dream offer," said Ayres. "I like how they love running the ball down hill. It's a great team and a great program with a ton of history."

Ayres, who gained 1,700 all-purpose yards on 120 carries and scored 30 touchdowns last season, hasn't been on any visits yet but says he's trying to figure out when and where to go.

"I was thinking about visiting Maryland, but I'm not sure about which schools I will visit," he said. "I'm in the trying to plan my visits."