Trending
National Signing Day is a day that high school seniors around the country look forward to each year.
They take a seat at a table in the gymnasium of their high school, or in some cases a local restaurant, or even at the kitchen table of their family home and they sign their National Letter of Intent on the dotted line. They secure where they'll spend the next four years of their life playing the sport they grew up learning and practicing.
Wednesday was no different for seniors in the Mahoning Valley as several athletes from around the area chose where they will continue their athletic and educational careers and there were plenty of deserving athletes. There will even be a few that will team up over the next four years.
Of the local athletes, three chose to stay close to home and will attend Youngstown State University. Niles linemen Matthew Keeley will join the Lowellville duo of Vinny Ballone and Brady Bunofsky as they'll join the Penguins' football program next year.
A few months after helping the Canfield Cardinals capture their first state championship in school history, offensive lineman AJ Murphy will continue his football career at Ashland University. He'll join Brookfield standout wide receiver, Isaiah Jones.
Bunofsky and Ballone won't be the only pair high school teammates sticking together as Valley Christian's Veshun Gurley and Phillip Spradley will be continuing their football careers at Siena Heights, Poland's Teagan McCurdy and Michael Hushura will go on to play baseball at Penn State Shenando, Niles' Avallina Aurilio and Brionna Bash will play soccer at Bethany College and South Range's Hunter Newell and Jake Starkey are continuing their wrestling careers at Mount Union.
Talk about making a big day even more special.
Some other big-time signings around the area included Brookfield's Connor Heater signing with Navy football, while his teammate, and the Trumbull County football player of the year, Donovan Pawlowski will continue to play football at Mount Union.
After suffering a season-ending injury midway through the fall, Girard's Nic Bengala will also have an opportunity to continue his football career as he signed with the University of Pikeville.
Austintown Fitch's Jayden Eley (St. Francis football), Josh Fitzgerald (Sacred Heart football), and Jamell James (Fordham football), also signed their National Letters of Intent.
Hubbard offensive linemen Ben Chaney will also be heading to West Point.
Along with the opportunity to choose their next home, National Signing Day is an opportunity for high school senior athletes to look back on what they've accomplished over the course of their high school careers and most of this group has left a lasting impression on the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicators sports staff.
From Ballone and Bunofsky leading Lowellville to an undefeated season this past fall on the gridiron to Jake Starkey and Hunter Newell helping the Raiders wrestling team capture a team state championship. There was also Struthers' Alec Grzyb, who committed to Walsh football, putting his name on the map with a stellar senior season this past year as he led the Wildcats to a special year.
There have been plenty of memories created by the senior athletes from around the Mahoning Valley and we at the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicator want to wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors at the collegiate level.