Spring Signing Day: 8 Wildcats to play at 8 colleges

Lake Highlands High School hosted Spring Signing Day this morning in the MAC, the school’s new multipurpose activity center, with eight student athletes signing letters of intent to continue competitive sports at eight universities in six states.

• Carson Brockette will swim at Villanova University in Pennsylvania,
• Lucas Lang will swim at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California,
• Will Faris will kick at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee,
• Asher Thompson will play baseball at Austin College in Sherman, Texas,
• Mohamad Shawait will play basketball at Richland College in Dallas,
• Noah McDavid will play basketball at Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas,
• Jeremy Griffin, Jr. will play basketball at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas and
• Noah Marx will play soccer at Manhattanville College in Westchester County, New York.

Some families will pack up their kids for distant dorms, while other students will remain close enough that parents can attend games.

“We’re really honored that Asher gets to play baseball in college because of the discipline and the opportunity that it continues to provide, but also because sportsmanship and teamwork is a life lesson,” said Jenny Thompson, who is an alum, with husband Chris, at Austin College where Asher will play. “It’s going to be exciting, but we will try to give him some space.”

Noah’s dad, Andrew, hails from New York and has family still living in the area, so Noah, too, can expect to see family in the stands on occasion. He’s excited about making his way to the big city, but he already anticipates one thing he’ll miss.

“Finding Mexican food might be tricky up there,” Noah said.

For all eight athletes, choosing a school was a challenge, because most colleges weren’t permitting on campus tours during the pandemic. Some will make their first actual visit when they move into their dorms.

“I’ve done a few virtual tours,” said Lucas, who will major in engineering, “but Harvey Mudd has a great academic program, and that’s what drew me in.”

“I spent a lot of time talking to the coaches,” agreed Carson, “and, after a lot of thought on academics and athletics, I decided the Villanova business school was right for me. Also, I’m really involved with high school choir, and I wanted to join an a cappella group there.”

“These young men have put in the time and put in the sacrifices for their teammates, and it is paying off in a big way,” said Athletic Coordinator Lonnie Jordan. “This pandemic has been difficult – I know it was hard on parents, teachers, kids and administration. But we have had an incredible season because of all the things it takes to be successful, and the number one ingredient is great athletes.”

You can read Connor Henry’s story about Jeremy Griffin and Noah McDavid here.