Big man Seccareccia signs with Bears Bangor standout heads contingent of 17 signees heading to UMaine

ORONO – Having attended Calvary Chapel Christian School during his freshman and sophomore years, Rob Seccareccia got a late start in varsity football after he transferred to Bangor High School.

One look at the 6-foot-6, 305-pound lineman revealed he had instant college potential.

Seccareccia, an All-Pine Tree Conference first-team pick last season for Bangor, was among three Maine high school players and 17 recruits overall who on Wednesday signed National Letters of Intent to play football at the University of Maine.

“He’s the biggest human being I’ve ever seen,” quipped UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove. “He’s got talent. He’s got skill. I think his best football, without question, is ahead of him.”

The two-way tackle helped lead Bangor to an 8-2 record and a berth in the PTC Class A title game last fall. Cosgrove said linemen of his size often wind up at Division I-A schools.

“He didn’t have the extensive high school career that other kids have,” Cosgrove said. “We’ve seen a lot of growth in him in a short time. We’re excited to get him on board here.”

Seccareccia also considered Massachusetts but found UMaine to be the best fit.

“The coaches are good and it was the best thing for me and my family,” Seccareccia said. “I’m really excited to go there because I’ve really grown up around it.”

Seccareccia’s father Bob played at Syracuse and Rhode Island and also had a tryout with the New England Patriots.

“He kind of helped, but he let me do it on my own, let me experience it by myself,” Seccareccia said. “He is proud.”

The other two-thirds of the Maine contingent are Lewiston tailback Jared Turcotte and Portland High quarterback Chris Treister.

Turcotte won the Fitzpatrick Award given annually to the state’s top senior player after rushing for 1,813 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. He also was the Pine Tree Conference Class A Co-Player of the Year.

“He’s a complete football player and we’re going to take advantage of that here,” said Cosgrove, who projects the 6-2, 220-pound Turcotte as a hybrid running back/receiver. “He loves the game and that’s as important as anything you do in recruiting. You’ve got to find kids who love the game.”

Cosgrove said Turcotte was an attractive recruit because he is a model young man who is an excellent student who excels in his school and his community.

Treister, a 6-1, 200-pounder, directed the Portland offense for the last two seasons. In 2006, he completed 60 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,846 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Treister also used his running ability to account for 574 yards and eight TDs.

“He was very effective as a run-pass threat in the spread offense for Portland High School,” Cosgrove said. “We had a chance to work with him in our camps. He’s a solid student, a real leader of that football program down there.”

Other instate players who will attend UMaine as walk-ons include linemen Eamon White of Portland, Raibonne Charles of Windham, and Cony High quarterback Gabe Hines.

Cosgrove and his staff signed five defensive backs, three wide receivers, two offensive linemen, two running backs, one defensive lineman, one tight end, one linebacker, one quarterback, and a multipurpose player.

“We’re obviously pretty excited about the group,” Cosgrove said of a class that includes six players from New York, three each from Maine and New Jersey, two from Pennsylvania, and one apiece from Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, and Maryland.

“Each and every year we think we’ve improved the quality of our football team, but hopefully we’re adding what will be an outstanding group of student-athletes and young men,” he added.

UMaine’s improved recruiting and resulting depth in recent years also has enabled it to go out and find the best players available without having to load up at certain positions.

“We don’t really have any glaring positional needs right now,” Cosgrove said.

One recruit with UMaine ties is Conor Keating of Milton, Mass. The 5-10, 220-pound linebacker is the son of Chris Keating, a 1979 UMaine grad who played 74 games with the Buffalo Bills from 1979-84.

The rest of the recruiting class is as follows: Anthony Bailey (6-1, 190), DB, North Versailes, Pa.; Roosevelt Boone (5-8, 165), RB/WR, Washington, D.C.; Derek Buttles (6-3, 205), TE, Pike, N.Y.; Trevor Coston (5-10, 185), DB, Greenlawn, N.Y.; Dominic Fotia (6-7, 275), OL, Lockport, N.Y.; Jerron McMillan (5-11, 180), DB, Hillside, N.J.; Marcus Payton (6-2, 208), WR, Folsom, Pa.; Denzal Person (6-4, 220), WR, East Patchogue, N.Y.; Kevin Phanor (6-2, 250), DT, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Karon Robinson (6-0, 185), WR, Camden, N.J.; Derek Session (6-1, 215), RB, Baltimore, Md.; Marcus Simmons (6-1, 195), DB, Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Norman Smith (5-11, 180), DB, Jersey City, N.J.