ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 4, 1997 TAG: 9701060038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
VIRGINIA TECH goes to familiar territory - Pennsylvania - to sign another recruit.
Matt Wincek, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound lineman, has become the third football player from the third different school in the Wyoming Valley (Pa.) Conference to commit to Virginia Tech.
Wincek, from Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., joins rivals Barney Bowman from Berwick and Jim Ferugio from Pottsville as future Hokies.
All were recruited by Tech assistant Terry Strock, who signed three players out of the Wyoming Valley Conference last year.
Wincek, who played both ways, was named second-team all-state on defense. He finished with 71 tackles, including 51 first hits and 16 tackles for loss. Included in that figure were six sacks.
``He's a very good athlete for his size,'' said Coughlin coach John Joseph. ``He went out for the varsity basketball team for the first time this year and is starting at center, which should tell you something.''
Wincek was offered scholarships by North Carolina State and Mississippi State, and had scheduled visits to Syracuse and Maryland.
``They were in it till the end,'' Joseph said, ``but Tech offered Matt way back in May and he's been leaning that way since the beginning.''
Wincek has a 3.2 grade-point average and ranks 70th in a class of 232. He scored 1090 on the Scholastic Assessment Test.
Tech has close to 20 oral commitments, although several remain unconfirmed. Wincek's is the Hokies' 16th public commitment.
LENGTH: Short : 36 linesby CNB