Story and photos by Joseph Mudrak
Since the conception of the United States of America as a sovereign nation, The United States Military Academy at West Point has trained cadets to become leaders on the battlefield, football field, and the board room. Now Rahway High School’s Edriece Patterson will join the likes of President Dwight Eisenhower and General Douglas MacArthur as a cadet at West Point after signing his athletic letter of intent.
During his illustrious career at Rahway High School, Patterson lettered in both basketball and football, and began to garner the attention of college scouts during his Junior year at Rahway. With a unique blend of size, speed, and intelligence (he is currently enrolled in AP Statistics) Edriece was approached by a plethora of Division I college programs, but a West Point Cadet must possess traits other than brains and brawn. Leadership, integrity, character, selflessness all are adjectives that have been used to describe Edriece. Rahway High School football coach Brian Russo stated, “Edriece exemplifies the character necessary to compete.” Russo went on to explain that Edriece was injured for a majority of his senior football season but still was a vocal supporter and a presence at practice and games. That presence was testimony to his leadership skills and his status as the captain of the football team. Patterson’s perseverance also enabled him to recover from his injury to be able to compete during the current basketball season.
Patterson was joined by friends, family, coaches, school administrators, and teachers in a ceremony to celebrate his appointment and his decision to join an elite group at West Point. Edriece Patterson will be the first student athlete from Rahway High School to be appointed to the United States Military Academy. This rare feat is explanation in itself of the type of young man Edriece is, and will become as a member of the United States Army.
(above) Members of Rahway Administration and Coaching Staff Back Row From left to right Al Reinoso, Thomas Lewis, John Farinella, Patricia Camp. Brian Russo, and Daniel Garay. Front: Ginelle Patterson and Edriece Patterson.
