Athletes and area high schools revel in National Signing Day

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For the talented area high schooler, the future has become much brighter. For parents and siblings, now they know whose sweatshirt, foam finger and Fathead they need to buy.

It’s national signing day. It’s the first time football
players can put their love of purple or burnt orange in writing.

Here’s the scene at area schools:

Aledo lands a batch

Aledo athletic director and football coach Tim Buchanan knows how difficult it is for high school students to earn scholarships to play at the next level. But the Bearcats had seven students sign letters of intent on Wednesday morning, the most-ever for Aledo at school signing event.

"Less than 3 percent of high school students receive financial aid to play athletics in college," Buchanan said. "To have seven is exciting. It’s an accomplishment of all the hard work the kids have put in. But, the No. 1 thing that these kids have to have is ability."

Aledo had students from three sports sign, including four from football, two from soccer and one from cross country/track.

"It feels good, just a relief knowing what I’m doing," said Christian Miller, an offensive lineman who signed with SMU. "SMU is a family school for us. I’ve had like five people out of my family go there, and my brother, Matt, goes there now."

Miller was joined by fellow football players Jordon Smith, an offensive lineman who signed with Southeast Oklahoma State, defensive back Jesse Wright, who signed with Southwestern Oklahoma State, and quarterback Tanner McDonald, who signed with Kilgore Junior College.

"It’s a really good feeling," McDonald said. "Kilgore is not a real big school, but I have a chance to play football and work hard to try and make the jump to a bigger school. It’s a good safety net for me."

Cody Hale, a midfielder for the boy’s soccer team, was the first to sign at Aledo when he inked his name with Houston Baptist University.

Kirby Zak also signed to play soccer at Sam Houston State, as she said: "It feels good. I like the coaches at Sam Houston and the campus is nice. It’s good to finally know where I’m going."

Ken Wallace, meanwhile, chose UTA not strictly for its track and cross country program, rather its academics.

"They have a good engineering program," Wallace said.

– Drew Davison

All Saints has two DI signees

Though he had gotten offers from other schools, there was no doubt which school All Saints quarterback Doak Raulston was choosing on signing day.

A table set up in the All Saints upper school commons had two seats, one for Raulston and one for teammate Hutson Prioleau. The one Raulston sat at had nothing but Louisiana Tech memorabilia a stuffed Bulldog mascot, two T-shirts and a blue-and-red miniature foam football.

Despite getting offers from two Big 12 schools Kansas State and Iowa State in the last few days, Raulston signed a Letter of Intent to play for Louisiana Tech on Wednesday at 8:40 a.m., respecting his prior verbal commitment.

"I weighed everything out, and Louisiana Tech was the right place for me," Raulston said. "They stuck with me from the beginning and I developed a relationship with the coaches."

Raulston, who passed for 3,026 yards during the regular season last year, said he felt pressure, both self imposed and from other schools, before signing. He was worried about making the right decision, especially with bigger schools rushing him in the past few days.

But after signing with a Louisiana Tech button on his school jacket, Raulston looked relieved and confident as he looks forward to reporting to campus on July 8.

"A lot of weight is lifted off my shoulders," Raulston said as he ceremoniously donned a Louisiana Tech cap.

Though a lot had happened during the past few days, it was the only cap on the table.

–Ricky Treon

Whirlwind year for Arlington Bowie DL

Jarrett Brown attended last year’s signing day at Arlington Bowie, and witnessed 18 Volunteers sign scholarships. He wondered if he would make it on stage when he became a senior.

Not only did Brown sign Wednesday, he inked a scholarship with Oklahoma.

"I thought maybe I’d be up there," Brown said. "But probably not with Oklahoma."

Brown was a virtual unknown last season until a commitment to football and the weight room last spring. He said he weighed about 215 pounds last year, but is now a strapping 255 pounds.

"I was there at 6 a.m., one of the first ones there," Brown said. "I was pushing myself and pushing everybody around me to be better."

Brown said he wasn’t getting many looks during the season, but after Bowie coaches sent out game tapes the calls came. Brown chose Oklahoma over Tennessee, Missouri, Purdue, Kansas State and Texas Tech.

–Milenko Martinovich

Lamar has three signees, two walk-ons

Lamar coach Eddy Peach and a library packed with parents and assorted family members watched three Vikings sign on Wednesday morning.

Linebacker Jamaal Elston and defensive tackle/linebacker John Henry both signed with Langston University (Langston, Okla.) while lineman David Cherry inked with Lon Morris College.

Vikings quarterback Michael Poynter enjoys preferred walk-on status with Rice while wide receiver David Acker has the same opportunity at Texas A&M.

– Tobias Xavier Lopez