Kahuku’s Perry
remains undecidedThe center signed two letters
of intent, but didn't send either one
What was supposed to be an uplifting day turned into a sour one for Kahuku center Jeremy Perry yesterday.
Feeling the pull and attention of many different people, Perry was confused, irritated and stressed out, according to his mother, Sherry Perry.
Friends, family, coaches and media gathered at the school at 11 a.m. expecting Perry to sign with Arizona. What followed was a surprise. He signed a national letter of intent for Hawaii instead. But as of late yesterday, he had not faxed it to the Manoa campus and it won't be binding until it's received.
"After he signed it, the coach (Siuaki Livai) and I noticed Jeremy didn't look too happy," Sherry Perry said yesterday at 2 p.m. "He has the papers with him and it's his decision.
"But he's been irritated with this whole process and has said to me that it's really hard. He used to hardly ever get cell-phone messages and now he has a ton of messages and our phone is ringing off the hook."
By midafternoon, UH did receive letters of intent from the rest of the recruiting class, except for defensive lineman Keala Watson (Nanakuli), who still needed his parents' signatures.
Hawaii coach June Jones was scheduled to comment on his recruiting class this morning at a news conference. A complete wrap-up of UH and local recruiting will appear in tomorrow's Star-Bulletin.
Perry apparently has whittled his choices to UH, Arizona and Oregon State. Paperwork for all three schools was available to him yesterday.
Kahuku spokesperson Brandy Burke said Perry signed papers for both Hawaii and Arizona and didn't send either one. Last night, Burke said Perry will have a discussion with his family and sleep on it and possibly make an official decision today.
Mrs. Perry said she had a lengthy meeting with her son and Livai after he signed the UH papers. She was waiting for a call from Jeremy after school, but hadn't received one as of 4 p.m.
"I'm waiting to see just as much as anybody else to see what he really wants to do," she said. "For a long time, since his junior year, he's been telling me that he wants to leave the rock (island). People have been telling me that he signed the paper for UH because of me. Of course I'd like to see him stay home, but I've told him all along that the decision is his."
A reliable Kahuku source said Perry prefers Arizona but believes he will ultimately choose Hawaii because his brother, George, is an incoming freshman cornerback with the Warriors after taking a year off.
Linebacker Walker Vave, the Star-Bulletin's state defensive player of the year, signed a letter of intent to play at Oregon State. He joins Kahuku tight end Tevita Finau with the Beavers.
Vave chose Oregon State over Kentucky because it is closer to Hawaii. Both schools offered him scholarships this week.
"I was really happy when Tevita told me he was going there, too," Vave said yesterday. "I didn't know until today."
Vave plans to start a two-year religious mission before attending school.
In other signings, Red Raiders wide receiver Frank Bracewell and running back Paea Vaimoui picked Tusculum College in Tennessee and quarterback Waika Carvalho chose Dixie.
Finau, defensive lineman Shosei Yamauchi (Troy State) and safety Afa Garrigan (Utah) made good on their oral commitments by signing yesterday.
Hilo offensive lineman Abe Medeiros signed to play with Northern Colorado and turned down offers from Western Kentucky, Idaho and San Jose State.
Cornelius Thomas, a 6-6, 300-pound offensive lineman out of Farrington and City College of San Francisco, chose Nebraska over Oregon State, Oregon and Utah.
"It's Nebraska. It's the best football program in the country," Thomas said in a press release. "It's the right place for me to become a better football player and a better person."
Tautoa Reed, a former Saint Louis defensive lineman who went to Moorpark College (a JC in California), signed to play for Northern Arizona.
The Star-Bulletin's Dave Reardon contributed to this report