The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Getman Adds Pair To Spring Signing List
5/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
May 17, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A pair of recent state high school soccer champions have signed to play college soccer for UAB, head coach Mike Getman announced Tuesday. Wes Johnson, who helped Parkview High School in Georgia to a 2-0 victory in the Class 5A title game Monday night, and Dean Sorrell, a member of Oak Mountain's recently-crowned Class 6A state champions, are the newest additions to the Blazer soccer family.
Johnson and Sorrell bring the total number of 2005 prep state champions to sign with UAB to four. Sorrell's high school teammates, Trey Gregory and Andrew Riley, signed with UAB earlier in the spring.
Johnson, a 6-0, 170-pound goalkeeper from Lilburn, Ga., anchored a Parkview team which recorded a school record 13 shutouts on the season and captured its sixth state title. Coach Tracy Crouch's Panthers were 20-2 overall after debuting at No. 2 in the nation in the NSCAA High School Coaches Poll. Johnson earned 2003 MVP honors for the U-18 Concorde Fire under head coach Gregg Blasingame and played on the 2004 Georgia state Olympic Development Team. An outstanding student as well, Johnson is a 2004-05 Parkview Peer leader, member of Mu Alpha Theta and the National French Honor Society.
"Wes is a top-class player," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "He comes from a traditional high school powerhouse in Georgia where he has had an outstanding career in goal. He is ideally suited to carry on the long-standing tradition of excellent goalkeepers we have at UAB."
Sorrell, a 6-1, 165-pound defender, helped guide Oak Mountain to not only the Alabama State 5A title, but the Eagles are currently the top-ranked high school team in the nation according to the most recent NSCAA High School Coaches Poll. Sorrell helped head coach Ryan Patridge's Oak Mountain squad to a 26-0-2 overall record while being named second team all-metro by the Birmingham News. He was also a member of the American Jets Soccer Club which advanced to regional competition for the third straight year this year. Sorrell is also a four-year member of the Alabama State Olympic Development Team.
"Dean is a great athlete with tons of courage and heart," Getman explained. "Like Gregory and Riley, he is well-versed with a strong prep soccer background and pedigree for winning. I expect he will compete for playing time right away."
In addition to Johnson, Sorrell, Gregory (6-2, 175, Midfielder, Birmingham, Ala.) and Riley (5-11, 160, Midfielder, Birmingham, Ala.), UAB also signed Alandus Brooks (5-10, 140, Defender, Jackson, Miss.), Two-Boys Gumede (5-9, 145, Forward, Louisville, Ky.), Derek Rios (5-10, 160, Midfielder, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada), Carlo Schiavoni (5-10, 160, Midfielder, Lachine, Quebec) and Jonah Stewart (6-1, 170, Forward/Midfielder, Birmingham, Ala.) to round out the 2005 signing class.
All but three letterwinners will return for UAB in the 2005 season. The Blazers were 12-7 overall in 2004 and were runners-up in both the Conference USA regular season and tournament.
