Just when the Hoosiers started thinking they had a secret steal in their recruiting class, running back Matt Perez continues to earn praise from the media.
Already being named Illinois' best high school player by the Chicago Sun-Times, the Maine South senior has hit the national scene as espnchicago.com, the sports-media giant's local spin site, named Perez the High School Player of the Year.
Here's a snippet from what writer Scott Powers had on Perez:
To really appreciate all of what Perez has done this season, you have to listen to what the opposing coaches had to say about him.First, let's get his eye-popping statistics out of the way. Going into the Class 8A state championship game on Saturday, Perez has rushed for 1,930 yards and 29 touchdowns on 181 carries. He has averaged 10.7 yards per run. He has caught 30 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns. He has returned two punts for touchdowns. He also has 59 tackles, 19 of them going for a loss. Twice this season, he ran for 300-plus yards and four touchdowns against Glenbrook South. Next season, he will play at Indiana.
