Mike Vukovcan It’s a busy time of the year for high school football recruits as March and April mean unofficial visits to college programs for spring practices.
That’s certainly the case with Hopewell 2028 quarterback James Armstrong.
The talented dual-threat quarterback is making his spring visit list, hearing from and receiving offers from Power Four programs, as well as getting ready to start his high school baseball season. Pittsburgh Sports Now sat down with Armstrong on Sunday and talked with him about the latest in his recruitment, starting off with his reaction to his newest offer from Florida State.
Hopewell softball and youth baseball is sponsored by Lisa McCoy, your neighborhood State Farm agent.
“It was surprising in a way given how big and prestigious a program they have and the national brand they carry,” said Armstrong. “It was surprising but also exciting that they would have interest in me.”
“As each offer comes in, and especially ones like Florida State, I’m just becoming more and more confident in who I am as a player. Personally, it makes me happy and at the same time appreciative that these schools are starting to talk to me.”
Armstrong currently holds Power Four offers from Pitt, Penn State, Florida State, Duke, North Carolina and West Virginia. Speaking of WVU, Armstrong traveled down to Morgantown last weekend to take in its spring practice on Saturday and left impressed with what he saw.
“It was a good visit. What really stood out to me was the speed and organization of their practice. It felt like a job. I watched the quarterbacks and they were running good drills. I like watching practices like that, because it had a game feel to it. There was never a time that it felt boring, it was very high paced the entire time. “I feel like West Virginia’s offense fits my skill set,” Armstrong said. “I’d like to see some more throwing, but I definitely like the running aspect of their offense. I still feel as though I’m a pass first quarterback, which then opens up the ability for me to run more.”
That was just the first of many spring practices that Armstrong will make over the next couple of months. Unlike last year, he is going to these practices with a different mindset and focus when he’s there.
“I’m really watching the development portion of things,” he said. “I really like seeing when a coach is working with a player and trying to make them better instead of just expecting their quarterbacks just to be good and that they should already know everything. I want a coach that is going to teach me, make me better and show me new things.”
A&S Federal Credit Union are proud sponsors of Hopewell Boys and Girls High School, Junior High and Youth Sports.
James Armstrong’s Upcoming Spring Visits
– Pitt: March 21
– Penn State: March 26
– Duke April 17
– North Carolina: April 18
– Virginia: Date to be determined
That list can grow depending on offers he may receive over the upcoming weeks.
Armstrong tells PSN that schools such as Syracuse, Wisconsin, Georgia, Alabama, Nebraska, Michigan State and Boston College have been in touch with Hopewell head coach Matt Mottes.
Along with taking these visits, Armstrong is about to start the third sport that he plays in high school, which is baseball.
Because of the level of football recruit he is and with a possible risk of injury, it was up in the air as to whether or not Armstrong would play baseball this season. While he gets headlines for his skill on the football field and basketball court, Armstrong is an accomplished and highly-skilled baseball player. The reality of it is that if he decided to devote himself fully to baseball, there’s a high chance he’d be taking in Division I baseball offers also.
Although the 6-3″ 225-pound left-hander won’t be pitching this season, he will be in the middle of the Vikings batting order. In the end, aside from having fun doing it, playing baseball helps Armstrong in other ways.
“I feel that playing multiple sports and having the chance to have fun with my friends makes this recruiting process not so time consuming, which I’m finding out it is to say the least,” said Armstrong. “Now that it’s becoming more intense, I’m seeing that it stays on my mind a lot. So, by staying active, playing multiple sports, having other things going on like hanging out with your friends, going to the field to hit baseballs, going to practice, all that stuff just takes a lot of pressure off me and allows me to have fun.
“Plus, this time with my friends and teammates is very important to me.”
What about the possible risk of playing baseball and how it could impact his football career? While that’s brought up by some, it’s not something Armstrong thinks about and provides a pretty deep reason why.
“Nothing in life is promised. The next day, new week, new month, nothing in your life is guaranteed. I really love playing baseball and have playing it since I was three years old and I felt as though there was no point of me quitting and not continuing to play. I can still prepare for college, which I’m going to do all offseason. But no one knows what life is going to bring you so I might as well just have fun each and every day.”
Today is opening day for the Hopewell High School baseball team as they travel to Ellwood City. Over the last week, the Vikings took part in scrimmages against Peters Township and Riverside. Plenty of positives followed those two scrimmages, which has Armstrong excited to get things going for real.
“”I’m really excited,” said Armstrong. “After our first two scrimmages, it really put a chip on my shoulder because I feel like I need to start carrying my weight. I’ve always been a great baseball player and this year; I definitely tailored off on my baseball skill work during the offseason, so I need to be better. Just seeing my teammates and how much better they’ve all gotten, I feel like I need to do my part and getting back up to my normal productivity so that we can go far. I really feel like this team is good and we can do well and go far.”
Although it’s time consuming, playing high school baseball will not take away from Armstrong’s preparation for the upcoming high school football season. Like when he played on the basketball team, Armstrong will always find time to get his football work in. Just to give you a feel for how driven this kid is, take a look at his current athletic schedule:
-Baseball practice six days a week
-Morning weightlifting/baseball team on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
-Weight lifting at the gym every day in the evenings (vary between upper and lower body)
-Football field work on Wednesday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s
For those that might think this is too much, Armstrong disagrees and says that’s just the way he’s wired. He wants to become great and feels this is his path of doing so.
“It’s almost like an OCD mekonism, like I need to do things in order to feel successful that day. I need to do at least two athletic things a day to feel good. I don’t understand why I feel this way but that’s the way I am.”
