Giovanni Vizza, Sam Dibrell and Connor Cook sign letters of intent. Photo by Steve Elliott

Three Alamo Heights football players made their final choices about where to play their college ball last week, all of them staying fairly close to home.

North Texas got the potent quarterback-receiver combo of Giovanni Vizza and Sam Dibrell, while offensive lineman Conner Cook signed on with the Angelo State Rams.

A recipient of multiple local and state honors, Vizza led the Mules to their first-ever state title while passing for an area-best 3,278 yards with 37 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, to go along with 107 rushes, 667 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 205-pound Dibrell was one of Vizza’s favorite targets, making 91 catches for 21 touchdowns and 1,513 yards, and was the leading wide receiver in San Antonio.

They’ll be heading to a school and a coach that will know how to use their talents well. Late last year, the University of North Texas’ football program named Todd Dodge as head football coach. Dodge, 43, is widely respected as one of the nation’s most successful high school football coaches for his winning records at Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas.

“It’s been really stressful waiting for this day,” Vizza said after the signing. “I felt more comfortable going to a school closer to home.”

Vizza had originally wanted to go to Nevada, but Dibrell was dropping hints about North Texas to his teammate for a while.

“Yeah, I kind of sneaked things to Giovanni about North Texas, and Coach Dodge convinced him,” Dibrell said. “Gio and I had a lot of chemistry on the field. The offense North Texas runs is similar to Alamo Heights.”

Conner Cook, a 6-5, 250-pound linebacker, heads west to join a program in the rebuilding stages. ASU signed 29 recruits, all from Texas, as head coach Dale Carr continues to focus on local and in-state talent.  The Rams will look to make a return to the postseason in 2007 after a drop off last fall.