WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. February 2, 2006: Conor Gilmartin-Donohue, the quarterback for the White Plains High School Tigers signed an Official Letter of Intent accepting a 4-year Football Scholarship to attend Northeastern University in Boston a Division I school in the Atlantic 10 Conference Wednesday in a warm ceremony of personal triumph and pride for the White Plains High School  academic Athletic Program.

Mr. Gilmartin-Donohue signed his letter of intent at about 11:00 A.M. Wednesday with proud parents, grandparents and his teammates looking on. It is the third straight year a WPHS football player  and the schools' football program has earned a football scholarship at a Division I School. Ike Nduka received a scholarship last year from the University of Buffalo, and in 2004, Spencer Ridenhour received one from Penn State. (Mr. Ridenhour is now a strong contributor to the Penn State Big Ten Champions.)

Great Moment in Sports: Conor Gilmartin-Donohue makes it official, as his mom, White Plians Swimming Coach, Patti Gilmartin-Donohue and Dad look on. Gary Matthews, a Northeastern Alumnus checks the official time. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Conor's Dad signs the Northeastern Letter of Intent, as "The Weapon" (his nickname on the WPHS Tigers), holds his new team's workout shirt. Conor's Mom, Patti Gilmartin-Donahue looks as four years of hard work by her son has paid off. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Conor and His White Plains Coaches: Mr. Gilmartin-Donohue has played 12 consecutive seasons of varsity sports, playing football, basketball, and lacrosse. He credited his coaches for developing him, and for teaching him the meaning of being a team player. Left to right are WPHS Junior Varsity Coach, Rahsaan Potillo, Pasquale Palumbo, Football Special Teams, Skip Stevens, Varsity Football Coach, Conor, Steve Armogida, Howard Rubenstein, Lacrosse Coach, and Spencer Mayfield, Varsity Basketball. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 Coach Stevens said Conor would fit in well at Northeastern where their new football coach is penciling Conor in to play tight end. Stevens said the program is turning around dramatically, 3-6 last year, but with four of their losses coming by only 4 points.

Conor told WPCNR he really liked Boston, he liked the coach who recruited him very much, saying "he was almost like a friend." He also said he selected Northeastern over other schools because he thought he would get to play sooner.  He said he would be attending the business school, and especially liked the "Co-op" placement program the business program has that helps place its graduates in jobs after graduation. He hoped for a career in business or sports marketing.

Conor said his coaches worked with him to find a college where he could possibly receive a scholarship and that fit his academic needs as well. He said they narrowed their search to the Atlantic 10 for its academic reputation and its level of play where his talents would fit in. He visited Northeastern and liked the campus liked the coaches and the city. When he and his coaches learned Northeastern was looking for receivers, they cut video tape highlights from WPHS games of the past where Conor was a running back, not a quarterback, to showcase his potential to Northeastern as a catch-and-run threat. It worked.

Conor told WPCNR that when he came to play football at WPHS four years ago, he expected a lot of individual effort where everyone was playing for themselves. He found the program far different, and said that instead, the team is like a family, that they win as a team and lose as a team, that everybody picks each other up and works for each other's success. He made special mention of Coach Marc Santo-Donato his coach for two of his four years of high school football for developing him into a football player.

His teammates gathered round to congratulate him. His father said that what he admired most about Conor's march to this day was his "perseverence."  His mother thanked all his coaches by name for how they worked and developed Conor over the years.

Nick Panero, Athletic Director for WPHS, Henry Cafaro, Guidance Director, and Gary Matthews all pointed out how rare an achievement a 4 year Division I Scholarship is, considering only about 115 colleges and universities are in Division I of the NCAA.

Conor, with his sister K.K., left, a star Cross Country Runner as a Junior, his youngest sister, and his Dad. Photo, WPCNR Sports.