MPHS athletes sign with colleges

• Photo by Nicole Kimball

Eleven seniors from Mount Pleasant High School were surrounded by cheering friends and family in Willie Williams Gym as they signed their names for universities and colleges recruiting them for exemplary talent in their sport.

Andres Lopez: going to Texas A&M Texarkana for soccer

“I thought it was over when my season ended, but I did some tryouts. I went to this one first, to this school and I fell in love with it.”

John Zelaya: going to Texas A&M for soccer

“I’m looking forward to just having fun and playing soccer in college.”

Rogeli Rios: going to Texas A&M for soccer

Essence Hurndon: going to Richland College for basketball

“I’m excited and nervous. The school seems cool and fun though, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Harrison Wall: going to Stephen F. Austin University for baseball

“My dream has always been to play MLB, so this is one step closer.”

Jake Noble: going to Morton College for baseball

“Honestly, just meeting new people and getting on the field is really exciting.”

Amariya Miller: going to Montreat College for softball

“I’m most looking forward to meeting new people and being in a new environment. I’ve dreamed of this since I was four-years-old.”

Conlee Zachry: going to Northeast Texas Community College for softball

“I know a lot of people here, and being able to play with them again is really exciting.”

Dylan Bennett: going to University of Texas at Tyler for track

“I just want to work on myself, get better, try to move onto the next level. Try to make it to the Olympics, break records.”

Johana Perales: going to Tyler Junior College for cheer

“I’m very excited to cheer again and make more friends.”

Kennady Mayben: going to University of Texas at Austin for cheer

“I’ve been dreaming of this since I was three. My dad, uncle, and grandparents went to school there.”

Also during the signing, the first ever Trevor Broach Memorial Scholarship was given to a student. Trevor was an MPHS student who passed away on Easter weekend this year.

Athletic Director Joe Cluley said, “Trevor’s parents did the legwork. They came together and wanted to come up with an award that would honor a senior football player in remembrance of Trevor. That award will be an annual award.”

Cluley went on to express they started at a $250 or $500 scholarship. Eventually it became the current $3,000 scholarship.

“The Mt. Pleasant community is incredible,” Cluley said. “They made it possible for this award to become something really, really big and to truly help a kid that they feel embodies Trevor. And between Mr. and Miss Broach and their family and our coaching staff, we came up with a kid that we felt like deserved that award and deserved to, not only the money is the side part of it, it's not the important part, but the person that we felt like represented Trevor the best on our football team.”

That special student who was awarded the scholarship was Ryder Marshall. According to Cluley, he’s a fellow senior who also played the same position as Trevor and were good friends, “They played together. They grew up in Little League together. It was a very cool thing to get to award him.”

Cluley also expressed a sense of pride for the students who signed with colleges, “This is one of the coolest days of the year. The first time we did this, we had nine sign. And now we had eleven. I'm so proud of these eleven kids and not only what they've accomplished to get here, but what they will accomplish in the future.”