Signature Day: Arundel senior quarterback Nick Elko, left, and senior receiver Brandon Johnson-Farrell, best friends who have been playing football together since they were youngsters, took a major step to play college football Wednesday. Supported by their parents, Elko signed a national letter of intent to accept football scholarship from Delaware State, with Johnson-Farrell choosing Rhode Island. — Chris Ammann/Examiner

Dave Carey, The Examiner
2008-02-07 08:00:00.0
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It’s only fitting the pair of Arundel seniors who connected a Maryland public school record 103 times this season were together on Wednesday morning to officially accept college football scholarships.

Quarterback Nick Elko and receiver Brandon Johnson-Farrell put the finishing touches on their record setting prep careers by each signing a national letter of intent to play Division I football this fall. Elko is headed to Dover, Del., where he will play for Delaware State. Johnson-Farrell is headed to Kingston, R.I., to play for the University of Rhode Island.

National signing day is one of the biggest days in high school sports nationwide, as it is the first day of the year in which high school athletes sign documents that bind them to attend a certain school.

But for close friends who grew up less than a mile apart and played together since they were youngsters, national signing day was bittersweet.

“We talked a lot through the process,” Elko, who chose the Hornets over Bowie State, James Madison and Old Dominion, said. “The plan was to go to the same place, but it’s kind of hard to do that these days.”

Neither Elko nor Johnson-Farrell drew much attention from scouts prior to this fall, but all changed in just four months. Arundel posted the best season in school history since winning the state title in 1975, going 13-1 en route to the 4A East Region title before falling to Quince Orchard, 36-30, in the state championship game at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 7.

Elko captured the attention of college coaches by completing a public-school record 260 passes for a record 3,091 yards. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder also set new state single-season benchmarks in total offense (3,993 yards) and passing touchdowns (43).

Johnson-Farrell was believed to be too small at 5-foot-10, 185-pounds entering the season, but he made a state-record 103 catches for a record 23 touchdowns this fall. His career 174 catches and 40 touchdowns also are state public school records.

“Today capped everything off,” Johnson-Farrell, who chose the Rams over Monmouth and Bowie State, said. “It was a long time coming. Everyone thinks about it playing high school sports, it’s just a great experience.”

Wednesday also was a big day for Coach Chuck Markiewicz, who had just his third and fourth players earn a Division I scholarship since becoming the head coach at North County in 1978. Markiewicz coached LaTroy Fowlkes, who earned a full-ride from Maryland and Anthony Walker who played for Syracuse, but both were at North County.

Markiewicz, however, is quick to deflect the attention to his players, who he said are just as successful in the classroom as they are on the field.

“When you talk about working hard, good things happen,” Markiewicz said. “I’ve had a number of players who through the years have been talented, but just didn’t make it. These guys have taken that to heart and are going to good schools for free.”

dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com