'08 PA QB Tino Sunseri (Pitt signee)

[GoRU]

Tino Sunseri



Pro-style quarterback
Pittsburgh Central Catholic

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 200 lbs
Forty: 4.7 secs

[wadc45]

Class AAAA: Five players to watch

TINO SUNSERI -- CENTRAL CATHOLIC QB

Seems the football world is enthralled by the long, tall quarterback. Yes, college recruiters can't get enough of the lean, 6-foot-4 kids who can wing it downfield.

Central Catholic senior quarterback Tino Sunseri likes those guys, too, but he also knows, at 6 feet 11/2, that the ultimate measure for quarterbacks might not be how far the top of their head is from the ground.

"Nowadays, you have the 6-4 quarterbacks that everyone loves," Sunseri said. "Because of how big I am, I kind of get the second seat. I think I make up for it with my accuracy and my arm strength and, now, I have been studying film a lot more. It doesn't bother me that those big kids get noticed so much because I know what I can do."

And what the Louisville recruit did last year opened more than a few eyes. He tossed 14 touchdowns and completed 86 of 151 passes for over 1,400 yards as he stampeded Central Catholic to a 10-2 record and the WPIAL Class AAAA semifinals.

Last year at this time, the scuttlebutt was about his highly-publicized transfer from a North Carolina school to Central Catholic. But this year ...

"Everyone is just talking about football, not all that other stuff," said Sunseri, flashing his signature smile. "I like it a lot better that the focus is on football, where it should be."

-- By Colin Dunlap

[wadc45]

WPIAL Class AAAA Roundup: Last-minute kickoff return lifts Gateway

Central Catholic 45, Woodland Hills 7

Tino Sunseri fired three touchdown passes, two to David Myers, as the Vikings dealt the Wolverines their worst defeat at their home stadium. It eclipsed a 43-12 loss to McKeesport in 1994.

Woodland Hills is 0-4 for the first time in its 21-year history.

Sunseri was 11 of 15 for 198 yards, including scores of 10 and 14 yards to Myers in the first half, then 24 yards to Andrew Taglianetti in the third quarter. Taglianetti also had a 56-yard touchdown run for Central (4-0), which is No. 1 in the WPIAL and PIAA.

[osugrad21]

Pittsburgh Gazette

WPIAL Football Playoffs: Shanahan, Sunseri rethink colleges
Friday, November 09, 2007
By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
They try to keep their thoughts on their own teams, playoff games and possibly a WPIAL championship. But Norwin's Mike Shanahan and Central Catholic's Tino Sunseri also have college recruiting on their minds a lot these days.
The college situations for Shanahan and Sunseri have changed drastically in recent weeks. Shanahan, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior receiver/defensive back, decided this summer he wanted to play basketball in college, turning down football scholarship offers from West Virginia, Stanford, Georgia Tech and a few others.
But Shanahan has changed his mind and now thinks he might want to play football in college. Pitt offered him a scholarship a few weeks ago. West Virginia also is recruiting him again for football.



Cont...

[wadc45]

WPIAL Football Playoffs: Shanahan, Sunseri rethink colleges

Meanwhile, Sunseri, a 6-1, 200-pound quarterback, made a verbal commitment in the spring to the University of Louisville. But he also had a change of heart in the past few weeks and reopened his recruiting. Pitt and Boston College recently offered scholarships to Sunseri, and he plans to make an official visit to Boston College.

"The recruiting is on your mind during the week," Shanahan said. "But whenever the kickoff comes Friday night, the recruiting stuff just goes all away. You don't think of anything else but the game and the task at hand."

Continued...

[osugrad21]

Pittsburgh Gazette

McKeesport vs. Central Catholic
The other semifinal game matches two teams familiar with each other. McKeesport (10-1) and Central Catholic (11-0) met in last year's quarterfinals, and they also have squared off in a preseason scrimmage the past few years. They meet again tonight at West Mifflin.
McKeesport's defense has showed some holes in a few games this season, giving up 21 points or more four times in the past six games. Now, McKeesport faces a Central Catholic team that leads WPIAL Class AAAA in scoring, averaging 43 points a game.
Central Catholic quarterback Tino Sunseri has a hot hand. In two playoff games, he has completed 20 of 24 for 305 yards and five touchdowns.
"We struggled defensively against Norwin," said McKeesport coach George Smith. "We gave them too many opportunities and they made some big plays. We have to do better than that against Central. I think we are going to have to play an almost perfect game."

[GoRU]

Jody Demling - Recruiting

Pittsburgh Central Catholic quarterback Tino Sunseri, who committed to Louisville last summer and recently said he was re-opening his recruitment, will be in Louisville this weekend.

Sunseri, the son of former U of L assistant coach Sal Sunseri, has a quarterfinal game in the Pennsylvania state playoffs on Friday and will come to Louisville on Saturday. The younger Sunseri said he's excited about getting back to The 'Ville.

"I really haven't been focusing too much on recruiting right now," he said. "But I do want to get to the Louisville campus and see the atmosphere. With no football game (on Saturday), I want to see more about what the student life is."

Sunseri, who said his "phone has been ringing off the hook," noted coach Steve Kragthorpe came to his school last Monday and that he's in constant contact with assistant Greg Nord. Other schools that have been in contact are Boston College, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

"I've just been putting it all off," Sunseri said. "We have a lot of Division I guys in our senior class and we all decided we wanted to put the team first."

Central Catholic is undefeated after a 35-34 victory over Gateway last weekend in the WPIAL Championship. Sunseri had two rushing TDs and passed for another in the victory. The squad plays Erie Cathedral Prep this weekend.

Sunseri did say Louisville is still in the mix, noting "they're one of my favorites."

[wadc45]

PIAA Class AAAA: Sunseri lifts Central into football semifinals

Throws for career-high 298 yards in romp
Saturday, December 01, 2007
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
ERIE -- He was equal parts effortless and flawless.

A deep route here, a middle screen there and a frozen rope out-route for good measure. Simply put, Central Catholic senior quarterback Tino Sunseri did it all last night and made it look so easy against a grossly overmatched District 10 champion.

Behind Sunseri, who finished 11 of 15 for a career high 298 yards and threw for two touchdowns, Central Catholic rambled past Erie Cathedral Prep, 44-6 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Continued...

"My coaches and my offensive line put me in a great spot to where I could sit back and make some throws, all I had to do was throw the football to the open guy," said Sunseri, who left with just over 5 minutes to go with a slight ankle injury he insisted was nothing to worry about.

[wadc45]

Pitt adds QB recruit in Stoudt - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

By Kevin Gorman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, December 7, 2007

Pitt has landed a quarterback recruit with a name that will resonate with Steelers fans, and the Panthers could be on the verge of getting another who is a Panthers' legacy.

Dublin (Ohio) Coffman's Zack Stoudt, son of former Steelers quarterback Cliff, made a verbal commitment to Pitt Thursday night.

Central Catholic's Tino Sunseri, son of former Pitt All-America linebacker Sal, is expected to change his verbal commitment from Louisville to Pitt this weekend.

The Panthers also are playing host to junior-college dual-threat quarterback Greg Cross of Fort Scott (Kan.) this weekend, and could stockpile players at the position.

[osugrad21]

Pitt Gazette

From Central to Pitt?
Don't be surprised if three Central Catholic players make verbal commitments to Pitt in the next few weeks. Quarterback Tino Sunseri, fullback-defensive end Dan Vaughan and running back-defensive back Andrew Taglianetti have scholarship offers from Pitt and all are seriously considering the Panthers.
"After [Gateway's] Cam Saddler committed this week [to Pitt], everyone kind of said, 'Maybe we should just go join him,'" Taglianetti said. "It's definitely a consideration. We'll see what happens, but we definitely do all like Pitt."
Pitt also has offered Central Catholic tight end-defensive end Quentin Williams, but he doesn't seem as interested in Pitt as the others.
Sunseri said yesterday he might make a decision in the next few days. He had committed to Louisville in the spring, but eventually opened up his recruiting and looked elsewhere. He still is considering Louisville.

[wadc45]

We all knew it was coming...

Scout $

12/10

Committed to Coach Wannstedt.

[wadc45]

Sunseri picks Pitt

Monday, December 10, 2007
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Central Catholic senior quarterback Tino Sunseri committed to the University of Pittsburgh earlier this evening.

Sunseri, a 6-foot-1 1/2 200-pounder and son of former Pitt great Sal Sunseri, had previously made a commitment to the University of Louisville but changed directions and decided on the Panthers after re-opening his recruitment last month.

Sunseri is Pitt's third commitment just today, joining Norwin's Mike Shanahan and Aliquippa's Jonathan Baldwin.

"I looked at the situation and what coach Wannstedt told me is that the quarterback race at Pitt is wide open," Sunseri said. "Anywhere you go, you are going to have to compete for the job and that is the same way it is going to be at Pitt. They told me that I have a chance to come in and start right away because the quarterback situation is wide open and I am going to do all I can, you know, work as hard as I can to get on the field early."