Nearhoof

ADAMS TWP — Ryan Nearhoof and Josh Keil were two big reasons the Mars football team went 9-2 last season.

Their next goal is to have the same impact at Robert Morris University.

Nearhoof and Keil signed play football at the Division 1-AA school in Allegheny County.

Both players said they decided that RMU was the best choice for them.

"I thought about a few other schools, like Fairmont State (W.Va.), Slippery Rock University and Mercyhurst," said Keil, a wingback and cornerback for the Planets. "But in the end, I felt that Robert Morris was the best place for me."

"RMU has always been my top choice," said Nearhoof, who played on the offensive line and at linebacker for Mars. "And when they offered me a partial scholarship, that's when I made my choice.

"I met Coach (Joe) Walton and liked everything about him," Nearhoof added. "I liked the whole coaching staff."

At 6-foot, 205 pounds, Keil was recruited by RMU graduate assistant Jake Nulph to play either running back or slot receiver.

Nearhoof, who stands 6-1 and weighs 215 pounds, will play linebacker for the Colonials, who finished 7-4 last season in the Northeast Conference.

Both players had stellar senior seasons in 2006.

Keil made Tri-County North Conference first-team defense after intercepting seven passes at cornerback.

On offense, he racked up 694 rushing yards, 490 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns. The numbers earned him a spot on the Butler Eagle Sweet 16 Offensive Team.

"The fact that I was a running back and still caught 22 passes for a (22.2) yard average, those are the numbers that I'm most proud of," said Keil.

"It's always hard to replace a player like Josh," said Mars coach Scott Heinauer. "He is one of the best, if not the best, wingback we've had here."

It was after a solid junior campaign when Keil began looking at Robert Morris."Coach Heinauer talked to me at the end of the year and he told me to eliminate Division III schools and focus on either Division I-AA or Division II."It's possible that Keil could see significant playing time during his freshman season with the Colonials."They lost three running backs from last season, so, I might get thrown in there right away," he said. "And I could see a lot of time on special teams."Nearhoof was an honorable mention for conference honors on both offense and defense last season.He helped the Planets amass more than 3,000 rushing yards as a guard and averaged nearly eight tackles per game at linebacker."Ryan just kept getting better and better," said Heinauer. "He improved 100 percent from his junior to his senior year."That was due to his commitment off the field."I was able to put 20 pounds of muscle on in the weight room," added Nearhoof. "It helped me a lot, just with my strength and speed."Like Keil, Nearhoof expects to see action on special teams in 2007."I want to get playing time as a freshman and end up becoming a starter," he said.Keil and Nearhoof, who are friends off the field, are looking forward to remaining teammates for the next four years."It's probably going to make it easier on me, having a teammate to go through training camp with," said Nearhoof.While Nearhoof plans to major in environmental sciences, Keil is hoping to have a career in football long after his playing days are over."I'm going to major in sports management," he said. "I want to be either a scout or a coach — something with football. I couldn't live without it."

Keil