Beth Long’s football recruiting notebook

Phillips, the defending Class 4A state champions, had a challenging start to the season. The Wildcats played Fenwick, Richards and Simeon in the first three weeks. Now they sit at 5-1 and according to senior running back Kamari Mosby the early season slate is making a difference in their stamina and determination.

“The season has been pretty good,” Mosby said. “The first three weeks were very competitive and we played toughh teams. I feel that will prepare us in the long run.”

Film against tough opponents is also making a difference in recruiting, which is going well for Mosby.

“I’ve heard from a few coaches here and there,” Mosby said. “I’ve talked to Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Syracuse and many others.”

And of course, Mosby is spending time on what is coming next on the gridiron as well.

“I’ve become a better leader,” Mosby said. “And I also really have improved on my speed. My goals for the rest of the season are to stay consistent and continue to work hard as a team and do our job. The main goal is to get back down to state.”

Another one of Phillips seniors, defensive athlete Malcolm Fox, is adding interest and offers, with the latest interest coming from Dartmouth, Western Illinois and Army.

“I just want to keep working so I can keep adding more offers,” Fox said. “I love being able to say that I grabbed an offer so I just continue to work and never take anything for granted.”

Benn is a name to watch

Brother Rice sits at No. 3 in the Super 25 and the Crusaders proved that their defense is perhaps as explosive as their offense in a 49-42 win over conference rival Mount Carmel. One athlete emerging on the recruiting scene is senior defensive end Shelby Benn, who leads the team in sacks this season with 3.5.

“I have offers from Robert Morris and Benedictine University,” Benn said. “I am getting a lot of attention from Western Illinois, Stetson, Drake, Southern Illinois and some others.

Benn is 6-foot-5, 205-pounds and has impressive length and quickness. He’s excited to add his name to the list of area athletes getting recruited and if Friday’s performance is any indication, he will likely continue to draw more interest.

“Getting recruited with others on my team is exciting,” Benn said. “We are all happy for each other and we are truly a family here at Brother Rice, especially knowing the amount of college level athletes we’ve got here.”

This offseason was an important one for Benn.

“I worked on hand placement to improve myself to become a threat in the run game,” Benn said. “And my explosiveness off the ball to get to the quarterback.”

Brother Rice (6-0) travels to take on St. Joseph (5-1) on Friday at 7:30 P.M.