Staff Report
UNM head football coach Rocky Long announced 27 student-athletes signed with the Lobo football team for the 2004 season, including four New Mexico high school players with outstanding statistics.
At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Jake Bowe, who will be a freshman in the fall, played safety and wide receiver for La Cueva. Bowe had an impressive performance in the state championship game last fall, as he threw a touchdown pass, intercepted a pass and returned a punt for 40 yards in the Bears' 24-21 victory over Las Cruces Mayfield.
Bowe also filled in at quarterback and defensive back and was a four-year letterman in basketball.
Bowe's father, Sam, played Lobo football in the early 1970s.
Joining Bowe from La Cueva is 6-foot, 240 pound Matthew Quillen. At fullback, Quillen was named to the all-state first team and rushed for 565 yards and 13 touchdowns his senior season of high school.
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Wide receiver Tyson Ditmore will come to Albuquerque from Las Cruces, where he was good for 28 touchdowns last season.
The 6-foot-2 Ditmore had 743 yards receiving for 10 touchdowns and 533 rushing yards for 18 touchdowns. His junior year, Ditmore received all-state honors as a defensive back when Las Cruces won the 5A state title in 2002.
Finally, Rodney Ferguson, a running back from Manzano High School, led all Class 5A rushers in New Mexico with 1,543 yards and 23 touchdowns. Ferguson is a three-time, first-team, all-metro pick.
Long said all of the high school signees should be a good fit for UNM. Fifteen total high school players signed with the Lobos, along with 12 transfers.
Six players were signed on the defensive line, six at wide receiver, four safeties, three offensive linemen, two running backs, two tight ends, one fullback/linebacker, one linebacker, one quarterback and one safety/wide receiver.
"Overall, I think we addressed the needs of the program for the 2004 season and the next four to five years," he said.
