Sooners get first commitment for Class of 2009
Sooners get first commitment for Class of 2009
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By Jake Trotter
Published: February 8, 2008
The ink may still be drying on the 2008 signing class.
But Oklahoma is already working on securing next year's recruiting class. In the smallest of places.
The Sooners received their first commitment of the 2009 class in Dewar High School outside linebacker Ronnell Lewis.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Lewis starred on both sides of the ball last season as a junior for Class B Dewar, which has been playing 8-man football for the last four years.
On offense, Lewis rushed for more than 2,300 yards and scored 40 touchdowns; on defense, he had more than 100 tackles and also intercepted 11 passes.
Lewis helped lead Dewar into the Class B state championship where the Dragons suffered their only loss of the season to perennial powerhouse Morrison.
For his efforts, Lewis earned honorable-mention All-State honors by The Oklahoman.
Next season, Dewar, which is located just northeast of Henryetta, will move up to Class A and play 11-man football.
Dewar football coach Josh Been said he expects Lewis to move from strong safety to middle linebacker in the new alignment. But Been said the OU coaches have been recruiting Lewis as an outside linebacker.
"He's very physical — that's one of the main things (defensive coordinator Brent) Venables talked about in liking his style of play," Been said. "He can run the football and usually runs through people and he has the speed to play close to the line of scrimmage.
"Coach (Bob) Stoops said 'I don't care if (Lewis) plays 6-man, 8-man or 12-man, I recognize he's a football player and that's all that matters to us.'"
Lewis isn't just a football player, though.
As a center, Lewis averages around 25 points a game for the Dragons basketball team and he also runs track in the spring.
Been said Lewis bench presses 315 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds.
Lewis was being recruited by Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Kansas State.
But after visits to Stillwater in the morning and Norman in the afternoon last Saturday, Lewis decided he wanted to become a Sooner.
Tuesday, he told OU coaches the news.
"It's really exciting around here right now," Been said. "We're just trying to keep everything on an even keel."
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He must have been really impressed with all T-Boone's money!!!!
Too Funny
Boomer Sooner!!!!!!!!!!!
that dumb, they would run from cletus.