Signing day roundup: Chattanooga-area prep athletes make college commitments
Here’s a roundup of a number of Chattanooga-area prep athletes who made college commitments on Wednesday.
Dalton star running back Tyson Greenwade makes his pick
The Chattanooga area’s first 2022 rusher has found a new home.
Tyson Greenwade signed with Charleston Southern University in a ceremony Wednesday at Dalton High School, completing a nine-month journey in which he went from not being a college candidate to becoming one of the porters most productive ball games in Georgia.
Greenwade, despite missing two games, rushed for 1,914 yards and 23 touchdowns in his final season for the Catamounts, including a performance of 371 yards and six touchdowns against North Murray in Game 1 and 375 yards and four scores against area opponent Hiram in late September.
Now, he is an NCAA Division I signer. Charleston Southern participates in the Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Big South Conference, and the Buccaneers enter a new era under freshman head coach Gabe Giardina.
“I really think it’s very positive for him and for the team,” Dalton coach Kit Carpenter said of Greenwade’s decision. “They have a great football player and a characterful kid who shows great leadership on and off the pitch. He is getting a top-notch education in a beautiful location.”
After rushing for 800 yards as a junior, Greenwade received very little attention from college scouts. He vowed to change that this offseason.
“Before the season, he told me he wanted to rush 2,000 yards,” Carpenter said. “The only 2,000-yard rusher I knew of (for Dalton) was (2020 grad) Jahmyr Gibbs, but when Tyson gets his mind on something, he can do anything. If he hadn’t missed those two games, there is no doubt that he would have achieved this goal.
“He was down after his first year, but the kid who played for us this year was amazing. It was really fun to witness that every week.”
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More stories from Wednesday’s signing day:
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Delinois at ETSU
Andrei Delinois will have another four years to work on his “y’all”.
A two-way star for McCallie’s football team for the past two seasons, Delinois – a boarder who spoke very little English two years ago when he arrived in Chattanooga from Canada just before his junior season — is expected to stay in the Volunteer State for at least four years after signing a scholarship with East Tennessee State University.
“I’ve dreamed of playing college football for a while,” said Delinois, who is from Quebec. “I was looking for a program that was perfect for me, and once I visited ETSU, I knew right away that this was where I wanted to be.
“After moving here, the first two months were probably the hardest, just because I was still learning to speak English. I listened a lot more than I spoke for a while, but I think coming here definitely prepared me for the next level and I was able to adjust to being away from home.”
Shortly after signing, Delinois spent several minutes on a FaceTime call with his mother, who still lives 1,100 miles away.
Although the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder played both catcher and linebacker for the Blue Tornado, he is expected to play defense in college, with ETSU listing him as an outside linebacker. He finished with 50 total tackles and returned one of his three interceptions for a touchdown last season, when he helped McCallie reach the TSSAA Division II-AAA semifinals after one junior season. during which the program won its third straight state title.
He will also join a pair of former McCallie teammates – quarterback William Riddle and wide receiver Xavier Gaillardetz – at ETSU, a football championship subdivision program that competes in the Southern Conference and has a strong rivalry with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
“Dre is that hybrid-type athlete that so many universities are looking for now,” Blue Tornado coach Ralph Potter said. “He’s big enough and physical enough to be able to play linebacker but also quick enough to play in the secondary. He’s got good hands and made a lot of big plays for us at receiver, but he’ll be a special player for them all over the place. where they line him up in defense.
“Besides his physical talent, what stands out about him is what a great leader he is in the dressing room and on the pitch. He’s a kid who wants to be trained hard and responds well to challenges.”
Busy day for the Bucs
Boyd Buchanan senior Jenna Randolph can consider the opportunity to play college football a major blessing.
In July 2021, she underwent spinal surgery after being injured in a car accident. After missing her junior season, Randolph returned to lead the Lady Buccaneers to their second regional championship in four years with her assist on the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Silverdale Baptist last fall, as she was also an all-district selection.
Randolph will play at the top level for NCAA Division II member King University in Bristol, Tenn., and she was joined on Wednesday by two Boyd Buchanan teammates: Abigail Aman (Southern Wesleyan) and Gavynn Davis (Bryan Middle school). Aman was a TSWA All-State selection and had 20 goals and 19 assists in his prep career. Davis, a three-year-old starter, also helped the Lady Bucs advance to the TSSAA Division II-A Semifinals last fall.
It was a busy day for Boyd Buchanan as several other Chattanooga private school athletes celebrated their varsity decisions: Molly Burnett (Milligan bowling), Jacob Hutcheson (Kentucky Wesleyan football) and Cali Sandhoff (Covenant volleyball).
Sandhoff was a TSWA all-state selection and area MVP who had 412 digs, 303 knockouts, 387 assists, 95 blocks and 75 aces to lead his team to a 30-4 overall record and the semifinals. state last fall. Hutcheson, a quarterback, had over 1,000 rushing yards, and Burnett won two regional championships and had a three-game rushing 664.
Busy week for Calhoun
Northwestern Georgia soccer powerhouse Calhoun will have five seniors signing with colleges this week, including three-year-old starting offensive lineman Brody Balliew.
Balliew, a two-time Times Free Press Best of Preps selection, signs with Furman, while receivers/defensive backs Cam Curtis and Dustin Kerns sign with Reinhardt and CJ Hawkins and Kelly Wells stay close to home in Shorter.
“Those five meant a lot to our program,” Calhoun coach Clay Stephenson said. “This group of seniors have guided us through a coaching change and COVID-19, and their commitment and dedication have kept our program in the right direction. We are very proud of these five players for being able to continue their education and have the chance to play football at the next level.”
Area transport for Reinhardt
Six local football players at Georgia schools have signed or will sign scholarships with Reinhardt University during this period, the rewards of consistent recruitment to the region by coaches from the NAIA school in Waleska, about an hour north of Atlanta.
Among the group is Coahulla Creek quarterback Kace Kinnamon, who had more than 2,700 total rushing yards and accounted for 26 touchdowns as the Colts entered the GHSA State Playoffs for the first times in the program’s history.
“Reinhardt is definitely making a great investment in Kace Kinnamon,” said new Coahulla Creek head coach Drew Carter, who has served as the program’s offensive coordinator for the past three years. “The tangibles speak for themselves. He’s a true dual-threat quarterback, and what separates him is that he’s a great competitor and student of the game. No one surpasses him and he is never satisfied with success.
“I really think he’s hitting his quarterback pace and his best football is ahead of him.”
Kinnamon will have a familiar face to throw with Heritage receiver Tyler Cheatwood (23 catches, 673 yards, eight TDs), as well as Curtis and Kerns of Calhoun.
Those three are joined by Southeast Whitfield offensive lineman Jayden Calhoun and North Murray’s Austin Davis, an athletic defensive lineman who will likely move to tight end in college.
North Murray coach Preston Poag was among the coaches impressed with Reinhardt’s staff.
“Reinhardt sent several coaches and was on our campus two or three times a week for the past few weeks,” said Poag, who listed unsigned quarterback Seth Griffin among Reinhardt’s interests. “They did a really good job and coach (James) Miller is building a good program.”
cling together
Sonoraville tight end Ridge Redd and Ringgold wide receiver Ty Gilbert sign this week with powerhouse FCS Jacksonville State.
Redd, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder who was a member of the Times Free Press Dynamite Dozen, was a big part of coach Denver Pate’s explosive offense with 612 yards and three touchdowns on 36 catches. Gilbert (6-1, 180) had a knack for finding the end zone for the Tigers in 2022, scoring nine on 31 catches and rushing in for 484 yards.
Compiled by Stephen Hargis, Patrick MacCoon and Lindsey Young. Contact them at [email protected].
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd/Andrei Delinoi of McCallie, right, tackles Montgomery Bell Academy quarterback Marcel Reed for a loss in a regular season game last September.