Westwood High senior athletes make history for high school
Tom Lanahan
ColaDaily.com Posted: Feb 8, 2014
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BLYTHEWOOD, SC (ColaDaily.com) - Westwood High School held their own signing ceremony Friday for parents of senior athletes signing their letter of intent. For some of those senior athletes, taking the step to the next level had a little extra meaning.
Strong safety Tyriek Bell, defensive end Anthony Friday, outside linebacker Raymond Hall Jr. and wide receiver Vyncint Smith are the first Westwood High School football players to sign with a college. Westwood opened its doors to students two years ago. Friday, Hall and Smith will be heading to Limestone College in Gaffney, while Bell will continue his playing career at Tusculum College in Greenville, Tenn. The Redhawks finished their first season 1-9. This past season, the team went 7-5 and made it to the second round of the AAA state playoffs, losing 45-42 to Greer High on a last-second field goal. Head coach Rodney Summers says, while the first year was very tough, the way the team responded in their second year makes the signing of some of his first seniors to scholarships very rewarding. “It’s just a special moment,” he said. “(It’s) something I’ll remember as my first head coaching job as well.” Friday, Hall and Smith also experienced another first as they signed their letters of intent. The three will be a part of Limestone’s first-ever football program, and Hall says he’s excited to begin another first with high school teammates. “We didn’t all talk about it, but then we all decided to go,” he said. “I know the reason I wanted to go because I wanted to start something new again just like when we started at Westwood. I want to be part of that again.” Westwood High Athletic Director Jason Powell says the school had one female runner sign a scholarship last season but that it’s very special this year with the number of athletes signing, especially within the football program. “This is an awesome thing for our school,” he said. “We’re trying to build tradition in many things that we do. These are the first football kids that have signed and hopefully good things will come in following this.” The track and field team also had a member sign Friday. Senior Autumn Walters will attend Coker College in Hartsville and will run for the school’s first-ever track and field team. Copyright 2014 ColaDaily.com. All rights reserved |
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