Seven Rome High School student-athletes signed letters of intent to attend college and play sports in a signing ceremony at the school's Performing Arts Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Chris Boden, Rome High School’s Athletic Director, started the ceremonies by welcoming everyone.
“This is an awesome occasion. Our motto at Rome High is to graduate our students prepared for college and work,” Boden said. “These student-athletes obviously did it in the classroom. That's a credit to their teachers and their parents and themselves. But it’s also a credit to the coaches and how they pushed them, made them work, and made them better to be able to achieve that.”
Five football players, a soccer player, and a softball player all came on stage with parents and coaches to sign scholarships to their respective schools. The players were all standouts for the Wolves in their respective sports, with several of them earning all-region honors for Rome.
Chance Arthur signed to play football with Princeton. Arthur was a first-team Region 5-5A selection at tailback for the Wolves. Rome High Football Coach John Reid also let everyone know that Arthur had just been selected as a Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) Class 5A All-State Selection the day before.
“Chance was a great tailback who had close to 2,000 yards and more than 20 touchdowns for us. He was great running and catching the ball out of the backfield,” Reid said. “We know he is going to do great things at Princeton.”
Jamiel Williams signed to play football with Kennesaw State. Williams was a first-team Region 5-5A selection at offensive line for the Wolves.
Jamar Chatman signed to play football with Murray State. Chatman was an honorable mention Region 5-5A selection at defensive line for the Wolves.
“Jamiel started at right tackle for us the past three years, and Jamar was a standout defensive lineman for us. I know that Kennesaw State and Murray State are getting great players,” Reid said.
Javarius McDearmont and Tinerious Stallings both signed to play football with the University of Cumberlands in Kentucky. Stallings was a first-team Region 5-5A selection at receiver for the Wolves. McDearmont was an honorable mention Region 5-5A selection at inside linebacker and running back, respectively.
“Javarius was a tailback for us and also caught the ball out of the backfield. He had close to 2,000 yards rushing in his career and scored more than 20 touchdowns,” Reid said. “You know Tinerious as someone who can score on punt returns and kickoff returns, but he did a lot for us. He played in the slot at wide receiver and he also played defensive back. Cumberlands is going to enjoy having both of these guys on the team.”
Emily Cooper, who earned second-team Region 6-6A honors, last year for the Wolves signed to play soccer for Catawba College in North Carolina.
“Emily’s been a team captain all four years. She was voted by her team as a captain as a freshman, so that says a lot about her. She has been our leading scorer and her junior season, she was also the assists leader on our team,” Rome High Girls Soccer Coach Jessica Hewitt said.
Hewitt also noted that Cooper has been selected as pre-season all-state performer this year.
Jakayla Strickland, a standout for Rome High’s softball team, signed to play softball with Morton College in Illinois.
"She led our region in stolen bases and finished second in Class 5A for stolen bases. I knew pretty much that if she got on base, she was going to come around and score for us,” Rome High Softball Coach Trevor Proctor said. “I cannot wait to see what all she is going to accomplish in college.”
Proctor also noted that Strickland led the region in batting average and was among the tops in the state as well.
Rome had four student athletes sign in the fall for early signing day, and Boden said he expects more students to sign scholarships in the spring as well.