SETTLE STORY IN DMN
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 2:24 pmCan someone please paste the story about Settle?
Royse City High School sports notebook
Mapps resisted schools that wanted him to play defense
02:55 AM CST on Wednesday, January 12, 2005
By BOB THOMPSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
As he got deeper into the recruiting process, Royse City quarterback James Mapps knew one thing – he didn't want to stray too far from home.
As it turned out, he'll playing his college ball just down road.
Mapps said he has orally committed to play for SMU next fall.
"It's a real good fit for him," Royse City coach Rodney Webb said. "James and I sat down last summer to talk about recruiting, and he said, 'Coach, I'd really like to play at SMU,' and that was before they even started recruiting him.
"So when they entered the picture and offered [a scholarship], I had a feeling that was where he would end up."
The 5-9, 175-pound senior quarterback chose the Mustangs over Navy and Rice, among others.
Mapps rushed for 2,488 yards and 32 touchdowns and threw for 802 yards and six touchdowns while leading his team to the District 9-3A championship and the Class 3A Region I semifinals.
Some schools, including Oklahoma, showed interest in recruiting Mapps as a defensive player. SMU recruited him as a running back.
"He could be a heck of a defensive back too, but in his heart, he really wanted to continue to play offense," Webb said.
"He's one of the best high school ball carriers that I've coached, and I think he's going to have a ton of success at SMU."
Oral commitments are nonbinding. The first day a football recruit can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 2.