The Temple Owls have fared quite well in attracting recruits from the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania for its 2012 recruiting class. Tuesday, the Mid-American Conference reps added a speed demon of a wide receiver from District 1.
Ronnie Gillespie, a 5’9, 160-pound athlete, issued an oral declaration to Temple Tuesday, according to national recruiting service Rivals.com. The Owls were the only program to offer the Upper Perkiomen athlete, who also received interest from Division-1 programs like Buffalo, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers and Tennessee have all shown interest in the Indians’ featured receiving target.
Gillespie is the fifth prospect from southeastern Pennsylvania to issue a pre-season declaration to the Owls and the third such athlete from District 1. Among the 24 athletes from the eastern half of the Keystone State to issue pre-season declarations to a Division-1 college, 18 of them (75 percent) have come from either Districts 1, 12, or the Inter-Academic League.
Gillespie had a solid junior season for Upper Perk, hauling in a team-best 45 passes for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 22.7 yards per catch. He finished five of the Indians’ 12 games with at least 100 receiving yards, including games against Upper Dublin, Methacton and Phoenixville with at least 150 receiving yards. He finished four games with at least five receptions and four games with at least two receiving touchdowns. Gillespie was also a threat on special teams, returning 21 kickoffs for 477 yards and one touchdown (a 98-yarder against Muhlenburg), averaging 22.7 yards per return.
The Indians finished 5-7 overall in 2010, losing in the opening round of the District 1 AAA playoffs to 11-time District champion Strath Haven, 48-7. That was the only game the Indians scored less than 10 points last year.
