Warf, Harbison sign with Cumberlands

By JOHN VERSER
Glasgow Daily Times

March 08, 2008 03:22 pm

— EDMONTON — Metcalfe County’s Will Warf and Winston Harbison had always thought about attending the same college.
They officially sealed that fate on Friday.
The Metcalfe duo and future roommates signed National Letters of Intent to play football at the University of the Cumberlands Friday morning in the MCHS library.
“We always kind of wanted to go to the same school, but I had second thoughts and he’d already committed,” Harbison said. “But I decided to go to the same place.”
“It’s nice having somebody you know already to be roommates with,” Warf said. “We’ve been best friends for a long time now. Hopefully we won’t kill each other.”
Warf chose Cumberlands over several schools, including Campbellsville University, Union College, Morehead State University, Hanover (Ind.) College and Kenyon College in Ohio. Harbison picked Cumberlands over Campbellsville and Union.
“They’re both best of friends and grew up together, playing together, not just in football,” said Metcalfe football coach Larry Harbison, who is also Winston’s father. “They go to church together. They do a lot of other things together. It’s special to see them both commit to Cumberlands. Hopefully they’ll have tremendous careers there. They both are deserving. They both are outstanding young men.
“It’s great. It speaks well for our program, for our school, and we’re just tickled. We’re proud.”
Warf and Winston Harbison each liked the small atmosphere at Cumberlands, nothing the size of the school and the friendliness of the people there.
“You want to be on a winning team, and they have a winning team,” Warf said. “I like the small school atmosphere. Coming from a small school, you want to stay in a small school, because I figure I might get lost in the crowd if I went to a big school. So the small school atmosphere was what really drew me there the most.”
“The people were so friendly. The coaches were really nice. It was better than the other colleges I visited,” Winston Harbison added.
Both had stellar seasons on the field for the Hornets in 2007. Warf, a 6’3” quarterback, threw for 2,017 yards and 25 touchdowns on 144-of-244 passing. He threw just five interceptions and also rushed for 223 yards and four scores.
Harbison, a 5’11” linebacker, was second on the team with 99 tackles and registered double digit tackles in five games last season.
Metcalfe posted an 11-3 record in 2007 and won the school’s first-ever regional championship in football. The Hornets lost to Fort Campbell, the eventual Class 2A state champion, in the semifinals.
“We’re not only getting two good football players, but good people,” Cumberlands offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Edgar Weiser said. said. “When we recruit, we look for versatility, and that’s what they have. We like to recruit quarterbacks, because they’re real smart and if they’re a good quarterback, chances are they can play other positions. And Will’s a real good quarterback. Also, we like to recruit coaches’ sons. You can tell he’s very smart, he’s very versatile and he really has a good head on his shoulders for playing the game of football.”
Weiser said Warf would play quarterback for the Patriots, who run a spread offense.
“I think he’s going to fit into what we want to progress to,” Weiser said. “If he was a quarterback in last year’s offense, it probably wouldn’t have suited him as much. It could suit him in the future. We’re going to go where the talent is. We’ve upgraded the receiver position. We’ve upgraded the quarterback position this year as far as throwing the ball, so I think if we can bring those two things together, it can help our team be very successful.
“We were fourth in the nation last year running the ball, which is very good. I hope we’re not fourth in the nation this year. I don’t hope we’re last by any means, but I hope we’re 15th, some where in that range, and that’ll be because of our passing game is better. And we can throw when we want to, as opposed to throwing when we have to.”
Weiser sees the younger Harbison as an outside linebacker in the Patriots’ 3-3-5 scheme.
“Winston, he’s played some inside linebacker, but we’ve talked about him at outside linebacker in our 3-3 scheme,” Weiser said. “I think that’s going to be the position best suited for him.”
Cumberlands went 8-3 and won the Mid-South Conference’s East Division last season. The Patriots also advanced to the NAIA playoffs for the first time in 19 years.
As for signing with the Patriots Friday, both Harbison and Warf were excited to see that day come.
“It feels 10 pounds lighter,” Warf said.
“It definitely takes the pressure off,” Winston Harbison added.
And now that decision is over with, they just have to survive as roommates.

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