By Matt Wiley
While February may mean cooler temperatures, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day to many, the month is known amongst high school athletes for a day that can determine the rest of both their athletic and academic careers: National Signing Day.
During their ceremonies on Feb. 5, a total of eleven athletes — seven from both Freedom and four from Paul R. Wharton High — put pen to paper and signed Letters of Intent to play at the next level at colleges across the country in their respective sports.
A morning ceremony at Wharton High, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa, saw four young athletes signing with colleges to play football, soccer and tennis at the next level.
Wharton senior Jordan Lue, who played varsity soccer his freshman and sophomore years, signed to play soccer at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando. Lue said that he is ready to “dive in” to playing college soccer. Lue has played for the Clearwater Chargers Soccer Club competitive team for the past two years.
Samuel Chaffin signed to play tennis at Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero. Chaffin, a three-star recruit, currently is ranked 259th in the country and 29th in the state, according to the Tennis Recruiting Network.
Daniel Ibsen signed to play football at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. Ibsen, a defensive lineman, averaged 7 sacks per season in his three years playing for the Wildcats.
Antonio Joseph said signing to play football for Bethune Cookman University, located in Daytona Beach, “is a dream come true.” Joseph, a four-year varsity defensive end, finished the 2012-13 season with 32 tackles, averaging four per game.
A little further south at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, seven athletes took the leap and also signed their letters of intent during a large ceremony in the school’s media center.
Freedom senior soccer players Dana Jones and Hanna Seybold committed to Wilmington University in New Castle, DE, and Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA, respectively. Jones received Honorable Mention for the 2013 All-Hillsborough County soccer team.
Senior swimmer Marc Berson signed with Bowdoin College, located in Brunswick, ME. The day before the signing ceremony, Berson received the Swope, Rodante Vanguard Student Athlete of the Month award, which is given to outstanding athletes, along with a $1,000 donation to the school’s athletic department. Berson also received Honorable Mention for The Tampa Tribune’s All-Hillsborough County swim team and currently holds several school swimming records. CollegeSwimming.com ranks Berson as the 101st best swimmer in the state.
Andrew Anderson signed with Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, CO, to play baseball. The shortstop batted .240 in his 44 games as a Patriot, with 25 hits and 11 RBIs, scoring 22 runs.
Jason Canada committed to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where he will continue his football career. While playing as a varsity linebacker for Freedom, Canada racked up 75 tackles, averaging 2.6 per game.
Meanwhile, Freedom offensive lineman Dillon Browne signed with the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. During his time as a Patriot, he racked up 34 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Dejohntae “DJ” Grant, who played both as a quarterback and wide receiver for the Patriots, signed with Warner University in Lake Wales, FL. Grant was on the varsity roaster as a quarterback during both his junior and senior years, although he passed for a total of only 327 yards on 34 completions.
Congratulations to all of the New Tampa athletes who signed collegiate letters of intent during this year’s National Signing Day!
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