Carrington already ready

We all know that a player’s senior high school football season can play a role in a player’s recruitment. But rarely does a single high school game have the magnitude of Long Beach Poly and Concord De La Salle. And rarely does a game like that play a large role in player’s college decision-making process like it does with Poly running back Rory Carrington.

“Believe me, we know the date. That game has been circled on our calendar for a long time,” Carrington explained of the Oct. 6 matchup with De La Salle. “We want to stay completely focused as a team all the way until we finish that game. 100-percent focused.”

De La Salle goes into the game ranked No. 2 in the nation by RivalsHigh.com. Poly, 2-0 this season, is ranked 4th nationally by the same poll.

So how does “the game” affect Carrington and the recruiting process?

It’s simple. Carrington says he doesn’t want to announce a decision until after the game, in fear that it might unnecessarily deflect any attention away from the team and the team’s focus on the game itself. The game is that big in Carrington’s mind.

He has set two official visits. One is slated to Arizona for Dec. 8 and the other to Colorado State for Dec. 15. UNLV is also in the picture.

But, according to Carrington, he already knows where he thinks he will end up playing next year.

“I’m leaning very hard to Arizona right now,” he said. “It seems like they’re interested in me, that they want me to come play, and that’s what I really want the most. I also like their coaches. Coach Bobby Kennedy is a cool guy.”

Carrington’s timetable for a decision is understandable.

“I’m going to cool down first after the game, but I could see myself committing to them (Arizona) soon after that. Like I said, they’re my big favorite.”

Carrington rushed for 12 touchdowns and more than 750 yards as a junior. Carrington, who plays fullback, shares the Poly backfield with the No. 7 rated running back in the country, Hershel Dennis.

Dennis rushed for more than 2,000 yards last season, which is something that Carrington says he takes pride in.

“We’ve been starting together on the varsity since our sophomore years and I’m the fullback. So the tailback gets 2,000, the fullback is doing his job.”

Carrington is ranked the No. 15 athlete in the country by Rivals100.com.