Akron Beacon Jounal article on the Pettigrews!

[Falconfreak90]

GREAT to see this on the front page of the sports section today!

http://www.ohio.com/sports/38570464.html

Family-style recruiting for Pettigrews
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal staff writer

POSTED: 07:56 p.m. EST, Jan 28, 2009

Same university, different sports, independent decisions.

That was the scenario for John and Jeanette Pettigrew, both of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, in the process of keeping their college choices in the family. The brother and sister from Maple Heights have decided to accept scholarships from Bowling Green State University.

John Pettigrew will play football for the Falcons, and Jeanette Pettigrew will participate in track and field.

''I like that we are going to be together. I didn't expect it would happen that way,'' John Pettigrew said. ''She committed a couple weeks before I did. I knew about it, but that wasn't going to influence my decision.

''I liked Bowling Green when I visited [on Jan. 17]. I liked the team's history and I liked the recruits I was with. I felt like Bowling Green had a family atmosphere, which is what we have at CVCA.''

The siblings now will be able to form their own personal support group.

''It will be great to have my brother there. You meet a lot of new people . . . it's all new, so I will have a least one person to be close with,'' Jeanette Pettigrew said. ''It will be good for both of us because we can look out for each other.''

John Pettigrew, who picked the Falcons over the University of Akron, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo, will sign an NCAA letter of intent with Bowling Green on Wednesday.

He rushed for 2,158 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in 2008 on his way to making the all-state first team in Division IV. He also was second team all-state in 2006 and 2007.

He finished his career with 6,389 yards rushing, the eighth-highest total in Ohio history.

Jeanette Pettigrew helped CVCA win the Division II state championship at the state track and field meet in June. It was the first girls state team title in school history.

She placed in three events to help the Royals finish with 60 points, to 43 for runners-up Warrensville Heights and Columbus Bishop Hartley.

Pettigrew, who can sign her letter of intent beginning April 8, was fourth in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes, and third in the long jump.



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Tom Gaffney can be reached at [email protected].