Signing Day

Signing day, especially the middle one in early February, is almost like a holiday for many Southerners who are college football fans.  As a Clemson fan, I know a lot of the top recruits by name.  I know who the targets are, who the five star recruits are.  For the hardcore fan, signing day is the day they look forward to the most once the bowl games end.  The thing that the average fan sometimes forgets, no matter how "sure-fire" the recruit is, how successful they become, or how big of a "bust" they become, right now they are high school students.  They are so excited at this point in their life.  Many are living their dream, and their hard work over the past year, four years, and in most cases much longer, have paid off.

Tomorrow on signing day, I want to honor my students this year, and my three years at Chesnee, who participated in one of the three NCAA signing days.  I have so much respect for these students, because I know the hard work and dedication that it takes to reach that point.  Working with the football team at Gardner-Webb for two years gave me a much better understanding of just what a different level college athletics really is.  So here is a list of my former students, sport, and school.  (Let me know if I forgot any!)

Poly High School

Kara Howard (Softball) University of Kentucky

Cori Reinhardt (Softball) Cal State Monterey Bay

Sara Macias (Water Polo) University of Southern California

Jillian Yocum (Water Polo) Univerisity of California Irvine

Nicole Frank (Soccer) Lamar University

Kenzie Estes (Cross Country) Northern Arizona University

Casey Foster (Soccer) University of California Riverside *{signing in Spring}

Chesnee High School

Haley Gregg (Softball) North Greenville University

Raheem Hughes (Football) North Greenville University

Zack Miller (Football/Track) North Greenville University

Austin High (Cross Country/Track) Lees-McRae University

Stephen Cantrell (Baseball) Wofford

David Jones (Baseball) Southern Wesleyan University

Sierra Wilkinson (Softball) Spartanburg Methodist College

Holly Woodrum (Softball) Lander

Jalen Martin (Basketball) Erskine

Corey Frye (Baseball) Anderson University

Justin Blackwell (Cross Country/Track) Spartanburg Methodist College

Marcus Ovalle (Wrestling) Spartanburg Methodist College

Allyson Brislinger (Volleyball) Huntingdon College

Cedric Proctor (Football) South Carolina State

Josh Jones (Track) University of South Carolina

Gaffney High School
Hillary Key (Softball) North Greenville University
Julie Sarratt (Softball) University of South Carolina
(yeah, I know... I never taught there, but I claim these two also)

There may be a couple more in the spring that I'll be able to add. Sorry if I forgot anyone... just let me know and I'll add them.  I'm so proud of not just these kids, but all of my students who have gotten music, theater, band, cheering, and just regular ol' academic scholarships.  SO PROUD OF ALL OF THEM!