It didn't take long for Hinton to realize Je'Ron Stokes was deserving of his ranking as one the nation's top 100 juniors, according to Rivals.com. Running crisp routes and possessing superior speed, Stokes immediately showed why the University of Pittsburgh has offered a scholarship. Penn State, Rutgers, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State and Tennessee are among other colleges expressing interest in the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder.
"With his skill level, he's like a coach on the field," Hinton said. "He helps the other guys in terms of patterns, how they read Cover 2 or Cover 3, or what it is. He has the skill and he has the desire."
Opponents quickly realized just how skilled Stokes is, too. The 17-year-old had five receptions for a school-record 177 yards and two touchdowns in a season-opening loss to Norristown.
"It felt good to get the record," he said. "Unfortunately, we didn't get to win that game. I'm here to help the team as much as I can. Hopefully, I can help the team go to the state playoffs. That's what I really want."
Along the way, Stokes is on pace to break another Northeast record. He heads into tonight's Public League opener against Central with 13 receptions for a city-best 324 yards and four touchdowns. Despite being double- and triple-teamed, he is only 116 yards shy of breaking the school's single-season receiving yardage record set by Rockeed McCarter in 2004.
