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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 2, 2006 Clark opts for gridiron, signs with Idaho State By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — In what should be considered a special time in any athlete’s life, the days leading up to Wednesday’s opening of the college football signing period were anything but easy on Crater senior Cody Clark. On the one hand, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Clark served as a one-man wrecking crew for the Comets at linebacker this past season, registering double-digit tackling efforts in all but two games. On the other hand, Clark is a two-time district champion and three-time state placer in wrestling with hopes of padding those numbers as the Southern Oregon Conference district meet begins today at North Medford High. Both sports have their pluses and minuses, and Clark has drawn scholarship interest in each. In the end, however, it was a gut reaction that led him to sign a letter of intent to play football at Idaho State University on Wednesday. Advertisement "I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I guess I never was really definite until I signed this morning," said Clark, 18. "It’s what you’re going to do for the next five years so it’s kind of a hard decision, but I think I made the right decision." Among other area signees, South Medford lineman Ben Koziol signed a letter of intent to play at Western Oregon University and Roseburg punter/placekicker Kyle Loomis followed through with his commitment to Oregon State University. A handful of other local products, including Johnny Wasniewski of Crater who will visit Army on Feb. 10, are expected to finalize their plans in the coming weeks. Clark toured Division I-AA Idaho State two weeks ago, and that visit to Pocatello, Idaho, kept coming back to him as he weighed his options. "I like the place and the coaches and the players," he said, "and the football team seems to be headed in the right direction." And in the end, Clark said he believed he has a better future in football than on the wrestling mat, although either was going to be hard to give up. "I’m better off just doing football and focusing on being as good at that as I can be," he said. "I like wrestling and I’ve done it for a long time, and I’ll still do it when I come back in town if practice is going on. I’m definitely not going to forget about it, but for now it’s kinda on hold." Crater football coach John Beck said the Idaho State coaches were very complimentary toward Clark during the recruiting process. "To get a player of his caliber, they said they thought they were very blessed," said Beck. "They said he has the potential to be an impact player very soon." The Bengals went 5-6 last year and spent two weeks ranked in the top 25 poll. They return 10 starters on offense and six on defense, and added former University of Michigan quarterback Matt Gutierrez via transfer in the offseason. Next year’s schedule includes Division I foes UNLV and Idaho, as well as Big Sky Conference games that include Portland State. Clark said he expects to redshirt next season since the Bengals have a senior-laden linebacking corps. "It’s a great opportunity for Cody to go and participate at a high level and go on and get his college education paid for," said Beck. "We’re just excited for him and his family and Crater’s football program. It’s a big bonus for everyone." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail Clark opts for gridiron, signs with Idaho State ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s