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   Imagine 37 people crowded around a big screen TV watching football in February. No, it's not a Super Bowl party; it’s the University of Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevil 2007 football signing-day party at Dad’s Place.

   The atmosphere may not have been of Super Bowl quality, but head coach Gwaine Mathew’s excitement over this year's class was.

   “I think all the coaches did a great job recruiting this year,” Mathews said. “We went out to fill certain positions and did it. Coach Gregg did a great job signing players.”

   The coaching staff filled their biggest need by signing three quarterbacks. They include the Louisiana Coaches Association’s 5A most valuable player Scott Brunson, Arkansas’ class 4A All-State quarterback Joseph Lockwood and Blake Barousse, Louisiana class 5A All-State quarterback.

   “Feels great getting this out of the way,” Lockwood said. “I’m excited to come down here.”

   Mathews said that the only thing that kept Brunson, 5-10, and Barousse, 6-0, from playing Division-I was their size. The Boll Weevils' offensive coordinator, Will Hall, joked that Lockwood was the only player he ever recruited that scored higher on the ACT than he did.

   UAM also added help on offense by signing Dandrick Weathers, a 6-2 wide receiver out of Kosciusko, Miss., who was offered a scholarship by Louisiana State.

   “Dandrick is a SEC type wider receiver. He was a real steal for us,” Mathews said.

   The Boll Weevils added depth to their offensive line by signing Tripp Boatner, a 6-5, 335-pound lineman from Leesburg, Ga., and Dominique Lambert, who is 6-0 and 310 pounds.

   The Boll Weevils signed six defensive players this year. Fred Leak, a 6-1, 185-pound linebacker from Palestine, Ark., signed with UAM in 2005 but spent last season at Independence Community College in Kansas. Monticello’s own Lee Moore, a 5-11, 225-pound linebacker, signed with the Boll Weevils, along with Fordyce High’s Julius Rogers, a 6-0, 180-pound defensive back.

   “I’m very excited about (playing for UAM),” Rogers said. “I like everything they have going for them.”

Sports Information contributed to this article.

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