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After record night, Cooley hoping colleges take notice


Here we are, a week later, and the number still seems like something fake.

Five hundred rushing yards?

In one game?

While Eastern York's Alex Cooley doesn't seem to be basking in the afterglow of his PIAA record performance -- as I wrote about in this week's YAIAA football notebook -- the feat remains something of fantasy-like proportions. Cooley even earned a mention in USA Today.

But here's one group who hasn't yet taken note of Cooley -- college coaches.

Despite his unbelievable career numbers -- 4,559 yards and counting -- Cooley said this week he's received little in the way of recruiting attention since the start of the season.

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that seems a tad surprising.

Certainly, Cooley has some factors working against him. At 5-foot-7 and about 180 pounds, Cooley isn't the biggest back. And his 40-time isn't going to wow anybody, although he has become a standout sprinter for Eastern York's track team.

This is also a slower time for recruiting, as college programs are stuck in the thick of their own seasons.

But Cooley is as strong as they come -- he benches 400 pounds -- and his numbers speak for themselves. College coaches love measureables, but running for nearly 5,000 yards -- even against smaller-school competition -- has to count for something.

Maybe he's not a Division I guy. But there isn't a D-II or D-III school he could help?

I asked Brubaker on Wednesday about his thoughts on Cooley's future.

"He went to some prospect camps and was invited to some over the summer," Brubaker said. "His running times in the 40 haven’t been top 10 times. But when he goes to a camp for tailbacks, I guarantee you there is nobody in the state, or the country even, that’s going to outlift him.

"I have a feeling that once the season is over and things start to heat up, more schools will be interested."