Governor Livingston football players to sign letters-of-intent Feb. 3; Machado and Ingebretsen to play at Bryant University and Cunningham at Wagner College

By JR Parachini
Union County Sports Editor

One of the biggest signs of a high school football program on the rise is the number of players that are good enough to make it to the next level.

That's the case at Governor Livingston in Berkeley Heights, with three more Highlanders ready to sign on the dotted line next week.

Present seniors Max Machado and Rob Ingebretsen have given verbal commitments to attend private school
Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, while 2009 graduate Ian Cunningham plans to continue at Wagner College in Staten Island.

All three are scheduled to sign their national letters-of-intent Feb. 3, which is the first day of the signing period for high school players who will continue on the Division 1-A and 1-AA landscape.

Bryant and Wagner are both Division 1-AA schools for football, with Bryant makeing the upgrade from Division 2 to 1-AA this fall.

Machado (5-11, 170) was a three-year starter at quarterback for Governor Livingston head coach Terry Hanratty before moving to wide receiver this past fall.

On offense he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver and on defense he played safety. He also excelled on special teams, retuning one kickoff and one punt for touchdowns during the 2009 season.

A Super 100 player who will perform at defensive back in the North-South All-Star Game, Machado will continue on defense at Bryant.

"Max is a relentless competitor, a great leader, a spokesman for the team and a great all-around player," Hanratty said. "He's a coach's dream."

Machado showed great versatility this past season, rushing for 520 yards, totaling 640 yards receiving and passing for 540.

"He went to wide receiver this year because we were not that big up front and we began to pass the ball and he didn't even bat an eye," Hanratty said. "That's what a coach wants out of a kid."

Ingebretsen (6-0, 185) started the past two seasons at wide receiver. Also a standout on the basketball court, this past year Ingebretsen caught 36 passes for 710 yards, with six of his receptions going for touchdowns.

Ingebretsen also played linebacker on defense and will play in July's Snapple Bowl All-Star Game. His college position will be wide receiver.

"Rob has great hands, great awareness on the field and is one of those guys that makes every catch," Hanratty said. "Although he doesn't have great speed, he has everything else a wide receiver needs as far as ability to get on the field.

"He has great balance. He has made some of the greatest catches I've ever seen in all my years of coaching. He focuses and really has a gift."

Cunningham (6-2, 275) was part of a solid offensive line that helped GL reach the 2008 North 2, Group 2 final. He played this past fall at Milford Academy and is now academically eligible to continue playing in college.

"I'm a big believer in the offensive line as far as getting things done," Hanratty said. "You have to perform up front.

"People ran away from him and did not run to his side. He was a terror on the field, a great competitor and he gave everything he had."

Hanratty said Cunningham felt comfortable during his visit to Wagner and feels that he can make an impact there right away.

"He was thrilled about that," Hanratty said.

Other GL players during Hanratty's tenure to excel on the collegiate level include 2005 grad Chris Bergeski at Division 2 Southern Connecticut State, 2007 graduates Matt Boyer and Matt Zimmerman now at Princeton and 2008 grad Tyler George now playing tight end at Monmouth University in West Long Branch.

"There are six GL Division 1 players for the fall of 2010," Hanratty said.

GL has qualified for the state playoffs the past six seasons, those being the first six years Hanratty - a former Elizabeth standout and 1990 graduate of that school - has been at the helm.

In Union County, only Brearley - the first eight years of Scott Miller's tenure - and New Providence - the most recent eight of Frank Bottone's - have made the state playoffs consecutively longer.