ESPN

ALLEN, Texas - In Allen, football is a lifestyle.

All you have to do is drive by the campus that houses one of the largest enrollments in the state and the peaks of the Eagles' new football stadium that is going to be the Cowboys Stadium of all high school venues in the country to see that.

Leading the pack of those who will christen the new Friday night temple is junior Oliver Pierce, who was the Eagles' second leading wide receiver with over 600 yards.

As one of the top athletes returning for his senior season, Pierce is first in line to replace Alec Morris at quarterback and line up under center in the state-of-the-art stadium.

However, Pierce is one of the few athletes in the Dallas suburb who places football second, despite his standout abilities. He might even miss two-a-days for the second year in a row to chase world fame in his true athletic calling -- wrestling.

"This sport is definitely the hardest sport there is," Pierce said. "Football, that's easy. That's my offseason. There's no doubt about it that it's the modern day gladiators."

Pierce joined the Eagles football team late last fall after representing the United States in the FILA Cadet World Championships in Hungary, taking fifth place in his weight class.

Pierce beat wrestlers from Mongolia and Canada to earn a spot in the bronze medal match but lost to Azamai Dauletbekov of Kazakhstan.

The world-traveling experience, which included time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., was worth more than its weight in gold, sliver or bronze to Pierce.

"No one really spoke English anywhere," Pierce said. "It was just a different culture. After weigh-ins, some kids didn't have anything to eat or drink so they would just pick up your water and start drinking it without asking if it was OK because they didn't speak English. It was a really fun experience interacting with people of different cultures."

Pierce returned to the United States just a day before Allen's season opener against Cedar Hill in the Tom Landry Classic and picked up a team-high 129 yards receiving and a touchdown in the Eagles' win. No big deal.

Now, with that "offseason" activity over, Pierce is focusing on returning to state in wrestling after a disappointing end to his sophomore year.

Last year in the state semifinals, Pierce suffered one of his very few career losses after catching his foot between the mats and breaking his ankle in the first period.

"He didn't show a lot of emotion or anything and we got a timeout and said he was fine and finished the match and lost 2-0," Allen wrestling coach Jerry Best said. "He took it like a man and didn't say anything, didn't use it as an excuse, just used it as motivation to come back this year and win another state title."

It was his first high school loss after he won a state championship as a freshman.

Pierce has the chance to finish out his junior and senior years with a bang. Last weekend, Pierce took first in his 152-pound weight class at the district tournament for the third straight year, helping Allen win another team title with 275 points.

It's one step closer to the state title Pierce needs to add to his collection of national and world awards.

He'll then have a chance to go 4-for-4 in district and have another shot at state next year. All that after leading the football team in the 2012 season in front of a national spotlight surrounding the new stadium. And then it's off to Oklahoma.

Pierce has already accepted a scholarship offer to wrestle for the Sooners, representing Texas on the collegiate level.

"It's a great group of guys to work out with and great people to be around and I wanted to put myself in that environment," Pierce said of the program at Oklahoma.

And on Friday nights next fall, if Allen fans are worried about Pierce's nerves on a national stage, he's already performed on the world stage -- and succeeded.

"[Football is] just having fun, that's the easy part," Pierce said.

Keller Central's Zach Sanchez was one of the few athletes not playing quarterback or running back who could take over a game by himself.

Now Sanchez will try to do the same in the Big 12.

The receiver/defensive back signed a national letter of intent to play for Oklahoma on Wednesday, finishing a career that may leave him as the best player in Central's short history.

Sanchez caught 45 balls for 994 yards and 13 touchdowns in addition to his work on the defensive side of the ball, where he was one of the most feared DBs in the area.

The senior's defining performance came against Denton Guyer. He caught two touchdown passes and returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown in Central's 21-14 win.

That win went a long way toward solidifying Central's first playoff berth in school history. Central beat Coppell in Week 10 in what amounted to a playoff play-in game, and the Chargers put a scare into top-ranked Allen in bi-district before losing 30-17 at Cowboys Stadium.

Sanchez was originally committed to Baylor but switched late in the process.

Central offensive lineman Simon Goines also signed on Wednesday. He joins Jim Mora's first class at UCLA.

Opportunity is knocking for Oklahoma linebacker Corey Nelson, a true sophomore from Dallas Skyline.

Travis Lewis, the Sooners' leading tackler, is out for eight weeks with a broken toe. Nelson is in line to inherit Lewis' playing time at weakside linebacker.

ESPN.com Big 12 blogger David Ubben reports that OU coach Bob Stoops called Nelson the Sooners' most impressive player during the spring.

Lewis' injury means Nelson will get more of a chance to make an impression in the fall.

Euless Trinity wide receiver Brandon Carter, who had 31 receptions for 766 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior, has pledged to Oklahoma for the Class of 2011.

Carter, who becomes OU's 13th commitment, was also sought by Duke, Minnesota, Wake Forest and Tulsa. He currently is the 29th ranked receiver in the ESPNU 150.

Senior tight end Chris Barnett, one of the nation's top prospects at his position, is expected to return to A. Maceo Smith this fall, according to a report by ESPN Recruiting.

Barnett had transferred to Euless Trinity in January, but since has decided to return to his former school, where his father, Elzie, is the head football coach.

Barnett also has withdrawn his pledge to the University of Oklahoma and will reopen his recruitment, according to the report.

But that doesn't mean the Sooners are out of the running for the nation's 20th-ranked tight end prospect. Among a plethora of scholarship offers, Barnett currently lists his current top eight as Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Southern Cal, Miami, Florida State, Alabama and Oklahoma State.

Highly-recruited Skyline defensive back Franklin Shannon (6-0, 205) has committed to the University of Oklahom for the Class of 2011. Among his other offers were Arizona, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas A&M and SMU. Verbal commitments are non-binding.

Arlington Martin's excursion to the third round of the Class 5A Division I football playoffs last fall is already paying dividends on the recruiting front for members of the Class of 2011.

Danzel Williams, a 5-9, 190-pound running back/free safety, announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Tuesday.

A day earlier, teammate Deryck Gildon, a 6-2, 205-pound linebacker, revealed his intention to accept a scholarship to TCU.

Williams, who was recruited as a running back, said an early commitment wasn't exactly his plan.

"But Oklahoma had everything I wanted, so why wait?" he said.

Williams said Oklahoma State and TCU were in his final three.

What are Oklahoma fans getting?

"They're looking at a crowd pleaser," he said. "I love to play to the crowd, and Oklahoma always has a nice crowd.''

Williams' junior season of over 1,200 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns included a 17-carry, 123-yard performance against eventual Class 5A Division I state champion Euless Trinity in the playoff game that eliminated Martin.

Gildon said the atmosphere around TCU was a key factor in his decision. He said SMU was a close second on the list of 10 schools courting him.

In a way, it wasn't surprising that he would choose from two area schools. Growing up, he and his family were constantly on the move because his mother was in the military.

As a junior, Gildon recorded 50 tackles and a sack.

Lancaster is becoming a popular recruiting site for college football programs looking for help in the defensive secondary.

Four Lancaster senior defensive backs signed Division I letters of intent on signing day and three of those were with Big 12 schools:

* Free safety Quentin Hayes, Oklahoma.
* Cornerback Tyler Stephenson, Baylor
* Cornerback Matthew Thomas, Iowa State

A fourth defensive back, Kendall Hayes, chose Louisiana Tech.

This comes on the heels of the 2009 Lancaster class which included defensive back Demontre Hurst (Oklahoma).

Lancaster enjoyed a big signing day Wednesday with nine football and two track and field scholarships finalized.

Lancaster’s other football signings:

Kenneth Penny, Athlete, Nevada-Las Vegas
Darius Lively, DE, Louisiana-Monroe
Deon Criss, CB, East Central Oklahoma
Ronald Huckaby, DT, West Texas A&M
Dijon Goodson, LB, Langston

Track and Field
Alexius Hightower, jumper/sprinter, Ole Miss
Dravius Jones, jumper.hurdler, Louisiana Tech

The competition for Irving Nimitz defensive back Eddrick Loften’s letter-of-intent signature was still raging in the minutes leading up to today’s signing ceremony.

Nimitz coach Steven Hohenberger received a phone call from a Southern Cal recruiter at 6:30 a.m. with an offer for a full ride for Loften.

But Loften chose to sign with Tennessee.

Originally, Loften committed to Oklahoma, but the Sooners did not approve of his intention to schedule visits. That’s when Tennessee crept into the picture. Loften affirmed his intention to become a Vol two weeks ago.

Oklahoma did land one Nimitz player, however, defensive lineman Damon Williams.

A breakout senior season ratcheted up interest in Williams from one school last year to 25.

Lake Dallas saw two key contributors from its breakout 2009 season sign with BCS schools Wednesday morning.

Tackle Daryl Williams signed with Oklahoma, and defensive end Josh Tauaefa signed with Minnesota.

Quarterback James Franklin, who threw for 2,361 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,282 yards and 19 touchdowns in 12 games, enrolled at Missouri in January.

A pair of Flower Mound Marcus athletes signed with BCS schools on Wednesday.

DT Daniel Noble signed with Oklahoma. A three-star prospect according to ESPNU, Noble played nose tackle in Marcus' 3-4 defense.

RB Stephen Hopkins, who finished his career as Marcus' all-time leading rusher with 4,968 yards, signed with Michigan. He rushed for 1,332 yards and 19 touchdowns for the Marauders in 2009.

"He is a tough, physical, downhill-type runner," Marcus head coach Bryan Erwin said.

Jesuit defensive end Chuka Ndulue is a fast learner.

The Nigerian native moved to the United States in seventh grade and didn't step onto a football field first time until the ninth grade. Inexperience didn't slow him down Ndulue (6-3, 245) as he signed with Oklahoma Wednesday morning.

"He's a fine young man who has worked very hard in the weight room, in the offseason and on the field of play," said Jesuit head coach Bob Wunderlick.

Denton Guyer junior quarterback J.W. Walsh committed to sign with Oklahoma State's Class of 2011, ESPN affiliate Web site InsideTexas.com reported late Monday. He was 185 of 286 for 2,599 yards, 27 touchdowns and six interceptions last season. He also rushed for 1,554 yards and 22 TDs.

Walsh also had early scholarship offers from Arizona, Kansas and Houston. Regional powers Texas and Oklahoma were showing heavy interest.

He is the third Class of 2011 commitment for Oklahoma State, joining Plano West offensive lineman Travis Cross.

Despite reports, Dallas Skyline four-star outside linebacker Corey Nelson is still committed to Texas A&M and has not switched to Oklahoma, ESPN affiliate Web site TexAgs.com reports.

"I'm not committed to OU and I will remain an Aggie," Nelson said via text. "It's my future. Report that please. Tell everyone I'm through with recruiting and I will remain at A&M. It's my future."

Plano West defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, the No. 2 overall recruit in the country on the ESPNU 150 rankings, has committed to the Texas Longhorns. His other finalists were Oklahoma and Houston.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Jeffcoat, the son of former Dallas Cowboys player Jim Jeffcoat, had 68.5 tackles, 8.5 sacks and two interceptions as a senior. He was named to the First-Team Class 5A All-State team and was the defensive player of the year in District 8-5A.

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