SWFL Signing Day: See which area student-athletes will continue in college
Here's a roundup of the national letter of intent signing day ceremonies being held in Southwest Florida on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
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Lehigh football players headed to next level
Four Lehigh football players signed their letters of intent on Wednesday.
Lineman Jaheim Buchanon signed with Florida International University, while WR/DB Ranod Smith will continue his career at the University of South Florida.
Linebacker Tyre Cunningham and DB Tommie Battle IV will remain teammates, joining the Seahawks at Keiser University.
“It felt great, a real blessing,” Battle said. “Four years working hard for this one goal, and to finally achieve it is a great feeling.”
For Smith, who transferred from Fort Myers High School, the decision meant he would reunite with several former teammates, including his cousin Yasias Young.
More:Signing Day: Lehigh star running back Richard Young signs with Alabama Crimson Tide
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“It’ll just be good just to bring the whole 239 to the University of South Florida,” he said.
The players recalled their favorite memories from high school football: Cunningham named Lehigh’s game against Lake Gibson broadcast on ESPN as a memorable moment, while Buchanon said that earning the MVP at Lehigh’s Beast of the East game against East Lee in his sophomore season stood out.
“I’m going to miss those Friday night lights,” Smith said.
— Dustin Levy
Barron Collier's Torres to Florida State, Mooncotch to St. Thomas
Two Barron Collier football players made the next chapter of their playing careers official Wednesday morning.
Starting linebacker Brandon Torres and quarterback Tommy Mooncotch both put pen to paper, signing with Florida State and St. Thomas, respectively.
Torres, who made All-Area First Team this past season after recording 104 tackles and three fumble recoveries, chose the Seminoles after being previously committed to Brown. He’ll be joining the team as a preferred walk-on; just as former Barron Collier quarterback Dylan McNamara did last season.
Wednesday also happened to be the 18th birthday of Torres, making his signing day even more special.
“It’s a big relief, just to finally have this all said and done,” Torres said. “I just can’t wait to get up there and prove myself. I had been to a couple camps over the summer, and I was on their radar. They were keeping in touch with me, and these last couple of months, I’ve been in contact with them, and they gave me the opportunity, and it’s just a better fit for me.”
Mooncotch transferred in from St. Francis in Wheaton, Ill. last summer, and was the starting quarterback for the Cougars during their 6-4 season. In his lone season quarterbacking Barron, he completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 1,657 yards with 17 total touchdowns.
“If you’re looking at a year ago today, I was messing with the idea of coming down here, it wasn’t for sure,” Mooncotch said. “In a year, it’s crazy how much things can change. I would’ve had no idea I’d have an opportunity to play college football. I always believed I could, I just needed to be given an opportunity, and that’s what I got.”
— Alex Martin
Beauvoir, Dounchis headline 11 Community School athletes headed to next level
It was a loaded signing day on the campus of Community School Wednesday afternoon.
A total of 11 athletes signed their letters of intent in the Moe Kent Family Fieldhouse, including Darius Beauvoir (Football, Penn), and Lily Dounchis (Tennis, Amherst).
Beauvoir didn’t expect to be playing collegiate football when he was a freshman in 2019. Beauvoir expected to be playing basketball at the next level, but that changed when offers started rolling in for his play on the gridiron.
“It just means everything to me,” Beauvoir said. “These last two years that I’ve been playing football, I’ve been grinding every day with my teammates and going through an amazing experience of high school football to just get to where I am today. I never thought that I’d be here. I thought I’d be playing basketball, but God has his plans for you.
“I’m just blessed to be up here, celebrate with my fellow student-athletes, and go to one of the most prestigious schools in the country.”
Beauvoir compiled 30 tackles on the defensive side with an interception. He joins a rare group that’s going to be studying within the Wharton School of Business, which has an acceptance rate of less than 10 percent.
“Yes, it is,” Beauvoir said when asked if getting into Wharton was just as special. “It’s the 40-year plan for me, and I obviously want to take football as far as I can, but I always want to have a backup as well. The best business school in the world is a decent backup, I’ll say that.”
One of the local greats on the tennis scene, Dounchis was the winner of the Southwest Florida Girls Tennis Player of the Year award as a junior last season, and a finalist for the Naples Daily News Girls Tennis Player of the Year award in 2018 as a seventh grader.
Dounchis will he headed to Amherst College in Massachusetts to continue her playing career, as is Chase Atterbury, who will play football for the Mammoths.
“It’s just exciting to finally have this solidified and done,” Dounchis said. “I’m just super excited. Ever since I was little, both my brother’s played tennis and I always wanted to do something with tennis. I didn’t want to stop at the high school level. I always kept the bar high. I’m really excited to be able to pursue it at a greater level.”
Other athletes that signed Wednesday were Kiara Cabrera (Basketball, Lincoln University), Michael Mario D’Angelo-Ternent (Football, Carthage College), Ramsey Huggins (Lacrosse, Dickinson College), Grayson Kerscher (Football, Denison University), Sophia Min (Tennis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Mackenzie Newhall (Lacrosse, Kalamazoo College), Alexis Purdy (Soccer, Purdue University Fort Wayne), and Emma Smith (Lacrosse, Franklin & Marshall College).
— Alex Martin
Three FBA state champion football players celebrated
After leading First Baptist to a state championship three months ago, it was no surprise that the heart of that Lions team signed with some impressive schools Wednesday afternoon at FBA.
Rich Mellien and Michael Votta signed letters of intent during Wednesday’s National Signing Day in a ceremony at FBA. Votta has signed with Middlebury (Vt.) College while Mellien will move on to Colgate University.
Olsen Patt Henry signed with Clemson in December but was also honored with Votta and Mellien in the ceremony.
Olsen will play for Dabo Swinney, who has brought national titles to Death Valley in 2016 and 2018. Olsen had a great experience when eating out recently with the AP’s two-time Coach of the Year at the Boat House Restaurant in Crayton Cove in Naples.
“I found him to be a nonchalant, funny guy,” Olsen said. “I realized that he was a coach I wanted to play for. They have a great atmosphere at Clemson, and Dabo Swinney has said he wants to utilize me a lot with the team. Coach Swinney impressed me a lot with the school and the team.”
Olsen, who will be a tight end at Clemson, has not yet officially declared a major but is leaning toward business. Olsen wasn’t concerned that his brother Mellien wouldn’t find a college to accept him. “I figured God would have a place for him,” he said. “I knew God would work things out.”
Mellien has been a three-sport varsity athlete at FBA and has made the all-area and all-state teams in football. He will continue playing at the alma mater of FBA coach Billy Sparacio.
“I am super excited and really blessed right now,” Mellien said. “I am thankful of having a great opportunity to further my athletic and academic career. Coach Sparacio had a little bit of influence on me. After visiting the coaches and seeing the program there, I was drawn to choosing Colgate.”
Votta was impressed by how Middlebury, a Division III school in Middlebury, Vermont, captured everything he wants in a college.
“To me, Middlebury has the best combination of athletics and academics,” Votta said. “I met all the people up there and liked the atmosphere very much. I think it was the best place I could find.”
— Tom Corwin
North Fort Myers celebrates 7 signees
Atavious Weaver was committed to play football at Western Kentucky but then he tore his left ACL playing basketball before his senior year. The defensive end/linebacker was lost to the Red Knights for the season and with no game film to send, the Hilltoppers decided to pass on Weaver.
Western Kentucky’s loss became Florida International’s gain as Weaver signed with the Panthers Wednesday during a ceremony with six other student-athletes in the North Fort Myers High auditorium.
“I wasn’t worried. I knew I was going to play somewhere,” Weaver said. “I just wanted to play D-I football.”
FIU defensive coordinator Jovan Dewitt kept in touch and swooped in to sign the Red Knights defensive end/linebacker who has been medically cleared and has been playing basketball this winter.
“I’m glad the coach there believed in me, believed I could play coming back from an injury like that,” Weaver said.
Three other North football players were honored as lineman Layne Postel signed with Keiser and linebacker Tavaris “Fleet” Irons signed with Highland Community College, while all-around player Boe Summersett, who signed with Florida A&M in December, was also celebrated.
Desirae Devine and Kendall Wylie have played softball together since they were 7, including travel ball and now for the fourth season at North Fort Myers. They decided to stick together a little longer as they are headed to play at Wofford. The school in Spartanburg, S.C. will play its inaugural Division I season next spring and both Red Knights, who signed early in November, are excited to be part of the program’s foundation.
“I think it's great because we're going to be part of the history of the school,” said Devine, a third baseman. “And it's just nice to have that experience, like not even just that it's going to be a first year but coach Chelsea (Butler), she's amazing. She's sold it for me, but I think it's really great that we're gonna be part of the history of Wofford softball.”
Taking on the challenge together was an added bonus.
“It's so nice to have somebody up there with me, especially in a new state and like at third base, I trust her like I don't trust anybody else there, we've always been together,” said Wylie, a pitcher.
Aliyah Morgan was still riding high after the Red Knights knocked off reigning state champion and rival Mariner in penalty kicks for the District 5A-11 title Tuesday night when she signed to continue her soccer career at George Mason.
“So yesterday, it was amazing,” said Morgan, who stopped two Mariner penalty shots in the win. “And I think maybe tomorrow we'll start to calm down and go back to business and start to get back into training and think about our real goals because now it's win or go home.”
− Ed Reed
Cape Coral swimming has big fins to fill
Maddie Lehman left her mark on the Cape Coral High swimming team, having won 12 state medals and setting four school records. She’ll now look to make an impression at James Madison in Virginia.
The Seahawks held a signing celebration for Lehman on Wednesday afternoon, a day after she learned she was accepted into JMU’s biology program, where she also plans to minor in pre-pharmacy.
“I am excited to move out of state, a new location, kind of get like a new environment and meet new people,” she said.
“It's definitely gonna be a challenge, and it's gonna take quite some time to adapt to a new environment and having all these wonderful people around me to support me and just be there by my side. But I know that there'll be here when I come home, and they'll always be there to support me regardless, even if it's over the phone.”
A sometimes teary Cape coach Diane Kimble couldn’t praise what Lehman has meant to her program enough during a speech.
“I don't know if they realize how lucky they are to have such an incredible young lady joining them and you will be leaving very big shoes to fill. Very big fins, actually, to fill not just based on your incredible accomplishments and districts and 12 state medals over your career. You have 4 team records that I’m sure will go untouched for a very long time. So you're leaving those shoes behind but an even bigger hole in our hearts.”
— Ed Reed
'Go Navy, Beat Army!' says Fort Myers signee
Clarice Spencer’s success in the pool has propelled her to an exciting next chapter – the U.S. Naval Academy.
The Fort Myers swimmer signed with Navy on Wednesday.
“I was really happy because it’s been a long journey to get here,” she said. “I’m just really excited for the next step, and it took a lot of hard work, but I’m glad it’s finally all set in stone now.”
A four-year varsity swimmer for the Green Wave, Spencer took home a state gold medal in her freshman year as part of Fort Myers’ 400 relay team – a cherished memory from her high school career. She was a member of The News-Press All-Area Girls Swimming First Team four consecutive years.
Swim Florida coach Mac Kennedy, who has coached Spencer for more than a decade, introduced her on Signing Day.
“I think what marks Clarice more than probably anyone else that I’ve coached is she’s an incredible athlete,” he said. “I’m just lucky she picked swimming.”
Finishing her speech with, “Go Navy, beat Army,” Spencer said it wasn’t necessarily a longtime dream but one that gained momentum over time.
“I knew a lot of people that have gone to the Naval Academy, like I have family members that have and old coaches and teammates that have, and they’ve only said great things about it, so I was super excited to be able to follow in their footsteps,” she said.
The more she learned about the program and how it bonds those who partake, the more she was interested in pursuing it.
The aspects that drew her in: “The challenge and the hard work and then being able to serve the country,” she said.
Other athletes that signed Wednesday were Timmy Schultz (cross country and track and field, Florida Southern College), Tate Reilly (baseball, Albertus Magnus College), Jackson McKee (baseball, University of St. Francis), Kalia Reisma (volleyball, Canisius College) and Alaina Mixon (softball, St. Johns River State College).
Bishop Verot runner headed to FSU
Bishop Verot held a ceremony for cross country and track runner Kylie Thomas, who got all the attention as the only Vikings student-athlete celebrated Wednesday. Thomas, a member of The News-Press cross All-Area Cross Country First Team and Southwest Florida All-Region Team, will head to Florida State.
Ida Baker player signs
Bulldogs softball standout Adriana Przespolewski signed with St. Leo on Wednesday. Przespolewski hit .403 as a junior with 34 runs scored and 17 RBI and was named to The News-Press All-Area Second Team.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Southwest Florida student-athletes sign their national letter of intent
