Riverside wide receiver Raheem Waiters didn't wait around to decide he is going to run with the Thundering Herd.

The speedy 6-foot-1, 180-pounder committed to Marshall football coach Mark Snyder Thursday, less than a week after the Herd's camp for advanced seniors. Reportedly, he wowed coaches not as much with his speed - though it was in the 4.4s in the 40-yard dash - but his receiving skills and general football acuity.

In turn, the coaches left a favorable impression on Waiters.

"It's really close to home, and has a very good atmosphere," Waiters said. "I like the coaches, and I know all of them. They all know me. I feel welcome."

Waiters blossomed into one of the state's top three-sport athletes as a junior at Riverside. He was selected to the Class AAA all-state first team in football after catching 43 passes for 707 yards and eight touchdowns despite the fact Tyler Long, the Warriors' starting quarterback, injured his knee in the opening series of the season and played just three full games. Sophomore Seth Shanklin played the balance of the schedule.

Waiters also returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score against Cabell Midland and threw a TD pass against Winfield.

In track and field, Waiters was the high-point scorer in boys AAA, winning the discus with a season-best toss of 157 feet, 7 inches. He also placed second in the 200- and 400-meter dashes - the latter an event he rarely ran before - and was sixth in the 100.

In basketball, he led the Warriors with 15.4 points per game.

But football will be where he casts his collegiate lot. He has another year remaining at Riverside, where he also plays free safety.

"In the Capital game, the one we won in triple overtime, he tipped a pass with his left hand and caught it with his right hand," said Riverside coach Ralph Hensley. "He reads defenses well, and he can come up and make tackles. He got a lot better on defense.

"He's really an All-American athlete. He's nominated for the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. He's one of those guys who works really hard all the time."

Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.

Riverside wide receiver Raheem Waiters didn't wait around to decide he is going to run with the Thundering Herd.

The speedy 6-foot-1, 180-pounder committed to Marshall football coach Mark Snyder Thursday, less than a week after the Herd's camp for advanced seniors. Reportedly, he wowed coaches not as much with his speed - though it was in the 4.4s in the 40-yard dash - but his receiving skills and general football acuity.

In turn, the coaches left a favorable impression on Waiters.

"It's really close to home, and has a very good atmosphere," Waiters said. "I like the coaches, and I know all of them. They all know me. I feel welcome."

Waiters blossomed into one of the state's top three-sport athletes as a junior at Riverside. He was selected to the Class AAA all-state first team in football after catching 43 passes for 707 yards and eight touchdowns despite the fact Tyler Long, the Warriors' starting quarterback, injured his knee in the opening series of the season and played just three full games. Sophomore Seth Shanklin played the balance of the schedule.

Waiters also returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score against Cabell Midland and threw a TD pass against Winfield.

In track and field, Waiters was the high-point scorer in boys AAA, winning the discus with a season-best toss of 157 feet, 7 inches. He also placed second in the 200- and 400-meter dashes - the latter an event he rarely ran before - and was sixth in the 100.

In basketball, he led the Warriors with 15.4 points per game.

But football will be where he casts his collegiate lot. He has another year remaining at Riverside, where he also plays free safety.

"In the Capital game, the one we won in triple overtime, he tipped a pass with his left hand and caught it with his right hand," said Riverside coach Ralph Hensley. "He reads defenses well, and he can come up and make tackles. He got a lot better on defense.

"He's really an All-American athlete. He's nominated for the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. He's one of those guys who works really hard all the time."

Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.