Seven Clarke Central High School student athletes signed their Letters of Intent to play at the collegiate level on May 9 in the Gladiator Gallery. Athletes from the basketball, swimming, wrestling and soccer teams were recognized. “(I’m) excited. It’s all built up and emotional that I can’t explain it, but I’m really happy,” soccer player Nely Medrano said after signing with Georgia Military College. “It’s an important day for me.” Photo by Krista Shumaker.
On May 9, seven Clarke Central High School athletes signed their Letters of Intent to compete at the collegiate level.
“It’s good to see all of you here to celebrate this occasion. It’s always good when we can celebrate the accomplishments of the students here at Clarke Central High School,” Athletic Director Jonathan Ward said. “We have several that have earned the opportunity to continue competing at the next level in their varied sports. This is a product of hard work in the classroom and hardwork in whatever sport they’re competing in.”
With these words, Ward greeted a room full of family and friends of seven CCHS student athletes gathered to view the signing of their Letters of Intent to play at the collegiate level.
Senior Samuel Churchwell will be swimming with the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall. Senior basketball players Quamontae Monfort and Nick Johnson will be playing at Iowa Central Community College.
“I’d like to thank God, my coaches, my family, my teammates. I don’t got nothing else to say,” Monfort said at the signing.
Senior Nick Boobas will continue his soccer career at Oglethorpe University with an academic scholarship. Boobas broke the CCHS record for the most goals scored in a season with 29 goals during his last season on the team.
“It’s been a joy getting to coach Nick this past season. (He’s a) very hardworking young man, very polite. A ‘yes, sir’, ‘no, sir’ type player. He’s been a great teammate,” head boys soccer coach Chris Aiken said. “He’s really been a key part of our success this year and so we’re really going to miss him.”
Varsity soccer players Fernanda Becerra and Nely Medrano will be playing soccer at Georgia Military College.
“Nely Medrano has moments where she’s made opposing attacking players so frustrated that they asked to be subbed out of the game. As a defender she became an attacker,” head girls soccer coach Chris Hulse said. “These are the things that stand out but still we talk about character. We talk about young women that show their teammates how much they mean to them.”
Medrano became emotional after signing her Letter of Intent.
“(I’m) excited. It’s all built up and emotional that I can’t explain it, but I’m really happy,” Medrano said. “It’s an important day for me.”
Senior Brandon Navixay will continue his wrestling career at Truett-McConnell College. According to Timothy Stoudenmire, who recently resigned as CCHS head wrestling coach, despite his injury late in the season, Navixay remained a top athlete.
“This will serve as my last official duty as the head wrestling coach at Clarke Central and I couldn’t find a more appropriate way to go out with the young man that I will introduce you to today,” Stoudenmire said. “He embodies the things that I have tried to build the wrestling program around for the last 13 years. Discipline, hard work, a gentlemen in the hallways, a scholar and an absolute holy terror on the wrestling mat.”
Navixay looks forward to his future competing at the collegiate level.
“I’m just overwhelmed right now. There was a lot of people and I was really nervous, but after that I just felt comfortable,” Navixay said. “My plan for the future is I want to come in really strong and I want to push myself a lot because the college level is no joke. I can’t wait for that.”
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