Lakeshore’s National Signing Day ceremony on Feb. 9 featured five athletes but only three colleges and four different sports.
It was unique, to say the least, as two football players are headed to Hendrix College.
Defensive back Andre Ridgley and linebacker Jared Roberson signed to continue to play together at the Division III institution in Conway, Ark.
“We went to Hendrix like last week, and when we got there, it just felt like home,” Ridgley said. “When we met with the coaches, there was a love like our team here. It just felt like we were at home at Lakeshore. It was easy to bond with everyone. It just felt like home.”
Roberson agreed: “It was a great vibe. It just felt like home. And to know that I get to play another four years with (Ridgley), it doesn’t get much better than this.”
Lakeshore lacrosse player Leyton Roetting signed with Division II Tiffin University in Ohio.
“This signing is just a dream come true,” Roetting said. “Since I picked up the sport, this has always been my dream. It was a lot of hard work and bumps in the road to get here, but it’s been an unbelievable journey.”
Roetting said it was a long journey to decide on the sport he wanted to focus on, but he turned his full attention to lacrosse last year and never looked back.
A pair of Titans signed with Centenary College in Shreveport. Swimmer Noah Bannan hopes to build on his high school career while pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine.
“When I went and visited, the coach just embodied the ideals that I wanted,” Bannan said. “He talked about hard training, but not only that, because Centenary is a really good school. They have a high acceptance rate for my major. This is going to take me where I need to be in life.”
Bannan, who started swimming when he was 10, has competed with the Lakeshore swim team for the past four years. The Titans have been state runner-up each season.
“I don’t know where I’d be without swimming,” he said. “It’s just everything to me.”
Lakeshore pitcher Owen Guth also signed with Centenary for baseball.
“It was a perfect fit,” Guth said. “I toured the school, and it was a perfect opportunity. I’m not a big fan of big schools, so it’s a small environment. It was exactly what I was looking for. It’s just a perfect opportunity for me.”
As a junior, Guth boasted a 4-1 record with a 1.35 ERA for the state runner-up Titans.