Communities Celebrate Student-Athletes on National Signing Day

The odds are against high school athletes continuing their career at the college level. That’s why the number of athletes from Williamson County, and its surrounding private schools, is staggering.

Williamson County Schools Athletic Director Jeremy Qualls has the numbers crunched.

“3.3 percent of all student-athletes continue their career into college,” Qualls said at Centennial’s ceremony Wednesday afternoon. “Today, you are part of that number.”

Across 12 local schools, 66 student-athletes signed on the dotting line for National Signing Day Feb. 4.

“There’s young men across the country that have made the decision to pursue their passion and their love of playing football,” Father Ryan Athletic Director Pat Lawson. “We are blessed here at Father Ryan to have a group of young men that have done the same thing.”

Today was more than just for football players though, as 10 sports were represented.

Many themes were brought up during ceremonies throughout the county, but the most common one revolved around community. How the community is happy these student-athletes will continue what they love at the college level, and also how they were molded into what they are by that same community.

“We’re proud of y’all,” Brentwood Academy Athletic Director Cody White told the student-athletes. “This is the celebration of a community. These young people wouldn’t be sitting here today if it wasn’t for teachers in the classroom spending countless hours with them, teammates who made them better every day on the practice fields, for their parents who sacrificed to have them at this place, and then the coaches who put in countless hours of preparation, deliberation, and thought into practices and game planning.”

Battle Ground Academy
Arm Abbott – Football – Birmingham Southern College
Ronald Cleveland – Football – U.S. Air Force Academy
Jacob Haddad – Soccer – Centre College
Korrie Sauder – Soccer – Miami University (OH)
Win Temple – Golf – Belmont

Brentwood Academy
Aaquil Annoor – Football – Furman University
Michael Beamon – Football – Tyler Junior College
Justin Becci – Wrestling – U.S. Air Force Academy
Camille Caldwell – Track and Field – Samford University
India Hall – Basketball – University of South Alabama
Shon Lumpkin – Football – Georgetown College
Maycie McKay – Soccer – Lipscomb University
Megan Meadow – Track and Field – Samford University
Jackson Pittman – Football – U.S. Naval Academy

Brentwood High School
Jessi Boozer – Soccer – Belmont University
Canyon Davidson – Football – Stetson University
Ann Peyton Diffenbaugh – Soccer – Austin Peay
Lacey Duvall – Cross Country – Lee University
Jalen Marsalis – Football – Northern Arizona
Hunter Schmeisser – Football – Austin Peay

Centennial High School
Emanuel Hall – Football – Missouri
Jonathan Heckman – Soccer – Clemson University
Claire Leasure – Soccer – Lincoln Memorial
Nick Madonia – Football – Tennessee Tech
Luis Rodriguez – Soccer – Delta State
Deon Sanders – Football – Furman University
Tate Simpson – Football – Cumberland University
Cassi Voiles – Soccer – Trevecca Nazarene University
Austin Woods – Track and Field – Trevecca Nazarene University

Christ Presbyterian Academy
Jake Brown – Soccer – Lee University
Matthew Cusodero – Football – Furman
Jay Hockaday – Football – Vanderbilt University
Parker Howell – Football – Western Kentucky

Fairview High School
Yuriy Bulay – Football – Carson-Newman

Father Ryan High School
Brandon Benedict – Football – Thomas Moore
Robert Crawford – Football – Tennessee State
Marcus Dean – Football – Lindsey Wilson
Alex Horlak – Football – Wofford
Andrew Rector – Football – Vanderbilt University
Tyler Shoop – Football – Penn State
Jack Shoulders – Football – East Tennessee State
Cameron Towns – Football –Butler University

Franklin High School
Austin Baker – Soccer – Asbury College
Joe Critchlow – Football – Southern Utah
Corey Fatony – Football – Missouri
Delaney Griffin – Soccer – East Tennessee State
Hannah Hewett – Soccer – Union

Franklin Road Academy
Courtney Manning – Soccer – Tennessee Tech

Independence High School
Dom Childress – Football – U.S. Naval Academy

Ravenwood High School
Cole Brown – Football – University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
Alex Holmes – Soccer – Butler University
Van Jefferson – Football – University of Mississippi
Bryan McKay – Football – University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
Austin Percy – Football – Furman University
Seth Rowland – Football – Georgia Prep Sports Academy

Summit High School
Caroline Abernethy – Softball – Motlow State
Tessa Barto – Golf – Cumberland University
Matthew Butler – Bowling – Martin Methodist
Camden Gutshall – Bowling – Martin Methodist
Anna Horn – Golf – Martin Methodist
Elayna Horvath – Bowling – Martin Methodist
Ethan Kuehl – Baseball Washington University, St. Louis
Zack Mather – Baseball – Walters State
Baylee Meyer – Softball – Wallace State
Preston Patterson – Basketball – Cincinnati Christian
Samantha Smith – Trap Shooting – Martin Methodist