High school football: Springfield duo among area signees

“I feel like that was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made,” the All-Ohio cornerback said. “Once I committed and saw how much love it was, I feel like it just got only better from there.”

He will enroll at Ohio State and begin classes in January as a business major.

“It’s really a blessing to be able to be in this position,” he said. “A lot of players don’t get to do what I’ve been doing. Just being able to be from Ohio and play for Ohio State is a blessing for me and my family.”

Scott and fellow Wildcat Da’Shawn Martin were honored at a ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Springfield High School.

Martin is headed to Kent State after leading Springfield with six touchdown catches last season and finishing with 699 receiving yards.

He said he appreciated getting the chance to show his stuff on a larger stage the past two seasons after beginning his career at Catholic Central.

“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Martin said. “I’m really glad for everything my coaches did for me and then everything my family did for me as well. I’m just glad I got a whole opportunity to play at the next level.”

The Springfield duo were among 10 players in the area to sign letters of intent Wednesday.

Also making their college choices official were Springboro defensive back Willizhuan Yates (Ball State), Centerville defensive back Reggie Powers III (Oklahoma), Lakota West “athlete” prospect Taebron Bennie-Powell (Notre Dame), Stebbins offensive lineman Jake Wheelock (Cincinnati), Xenia offensive lineman Gabe Funk (Appalachian State), Fairfield quarterback Talon Fisher (Navy), Lakota West defensive lineman Elijah Davis (Akron) and Northmont receiver Dalin Wilkins (Eastern Michigan).

Centerville safety Ross Coppock committed to Toledo earlier this week, but he is not signing until the traditional signing day in February.

“Ross is a great football player and an even better person,” Centerville coach Brent Ullery said. “He truly embodies ‘How you do anything is how you do everything.’ He works extremely hard and has an unparalleled mental and physical toughness. Toledo is getting an awesome person and player with Ross.”

His commitment meant both of Ullery’s starting safeties from last season were FBS prospects as Powers had more than 20 offers by last summer.

He switched his commitment from Michigan State to Oklahoma after MSU parted ways with coach Mel Tucker in September.

“He plays fast, violent, and smart,” Ullery said of Powers. “The game happens in slow-motion for him. It’s a tribute to the hard-work that he pours into his craft. Oklahoma is getting a phenomenal football player and young man.”

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Among the group that signed Wednesday, Yates was the only one without a rating from one of the major recruiting sites.

Springboro coach Ryan Wilhite said he might have flown under the radar because he was primarily an offensive player until last offseason.

“There really wasn’t any film of him playing defensive back for college coaches to evaluate, but from everything that we were seeing with his offseason training, that was definitely his skillset,” Wilhite said.

Yates ended up earning an offer from Ball State after impressing the Cardinals coaches in defense back work at their camp last summer.

“I think that’s really the delay in Will getting evaluations by recruiting sites — the decision to feature him as a DB and the lateness of that happening in the recruiting process — but clearly, the results speak for themselves, and Will proved not only in camps but during his senior season that the move was the right one for him.”

This season, Yates had 27 tackles and two interceptions while catching 40 passes for 447 yards and five touchdowns. He also averaged 21.7 yards per kickoff return for the Wildcats.

Yates was among 28 newcomers BSU announced Wednesday, a group that also includes Centerville grad Chase Harrison, a quarterback transferring in after two years at Marshall.

Many more players figure to sign with colleges in February not only at the FBS level but FCS, Division II and III.