While the early signing time came and went for many athletes, some still chose to ink their collegiate National Letters of Intent (NLI) on Wednesday, for years the “traditional” National Signing Day on the first Wednesday of February. Eight athletes, between Harmony and Osceola, inked grants.
And, on Friday, Tohopekaliga's Nichalas Rawls made it nine when he inked his grant to Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach.
Harmony standout Tyler Emans loves football. But he values education more. So when it came down to selecting a school to continue both pursuits, Emans gave education the higher priority and has chosen to attend Brown University in Providence, R.I. He selected the Ivy League school over many offers – several of which sponsor much more prominent football programs.
“The deciding factor is that I felt really comfortable at Brown,” Emans said. “I always try to look at the big picture and this was an opportunity to continue to play football plus get an Ivy League education. It just made the most sense to me in the long run.”
In Emans, Brown is signing a running back that is arguably the top player in Harmony school history. He had back-to-back 1,300 yard rushing seasons — often when opposing defenses knew he would run — and holds the school record with 3,976 rushing yards. He also holds Longhorn career records for rushing touchdowns (53), total touchdowns (61), points scored (366) and all-purpose yards (4,779).
“It’s really hard for me to put into words what Tyler had meant to Harmony and the football program,” Coach Don Simon said. “Great player, hard worker, dependable, reliable, great leader -- I could go on and on. Opponents always keyed on him, but I always knew when it came down to having to get a yard or make a play, Tyler would do it for us. I’ve been doing this for 27 years and it’s rare when you get a player like him. If you are asking for one word, ‘special’ comes to mind.”
Simon said that Emans’ philosophy and choice of schools came as no real surprise.
“He’s always been a great student and always talked about his long term goals and plans. When you have talent, the recruiting process can be trying, hectic and confusing, but Tyler always approached that process in a very pragmatic way. He’s the type of kid you really don’t worry about because he always looks at the big picture and makes the right decisions.”
After his undergraduate work, Emans said he hopes to enter law school and become an attorney.
“When I was younger, my parents were big fans of Law and Order. I always felt becoming an lawyer would be a great way to help people and serve my community.”
Joining Emans on Harmony signing day was four-year varsity softball player Amanda Whalen. As a junior, she was the team’s ace pitcher; while also hitting .448 with a .490 on-base percentage in helping the Longhorns to a 14-6 record and an Orange Belt Conference Championship.
She will continue her playing career at Florida Gateway University, formerly Lake City Community College north of Gainesville. The school is resuming softball after a 15-year hiatus. She is one of 17 signees for the 2023-24 school year.
“Amanda was our first commit and we anticipate her as one of our starting pitchers that will compete for the No. 1 spot in the rotation,” FGU Coach Jimmy Williams said.
Whelan says she expects to major in agricultural accounting in college. “I love math and grew up on a ranch,” Whelan said. “I selected Gateway because it will keep me to close to home and I really felt comfortable with the coaches there. They care about softball and competition but they care about the players too.”
“No question, she’s the leader of our team. She’s the first to practice and the last to leave,” Harmony coach Kristi Mindrup said. “I know one thing, she’s going to be extremely difficult to replace next year but I am so glad we have another season with her this spring.”
Akex Tuyo, a member of the Osceola News Gazette’s all football, soccer and track teams, is expected to sign a soccer grant, and will do so when family is able to all attend. He listed Jacksonville and Clemson as several of the schools he is considering.
At Osceola, six more football players — running the total to 10 seniors this year after four more signed in December — signed Wednesday. They are:
Offensive lineman Jimarion McCrimon, East Carolina;
Defensive back Lacory Walker, Long Island University;
Receiver Tyjuan Massey, Shorter (Ga.) University;
Linebacker Matt Ambrose, St. Thomas (Fl.) University;
Quarterback David Buggs, Thomas (Ga.) University;
Punter/kickoff specialist Landis Surber, Allen (S.C.) University.
“It’s the best day of any athletic director’s career, seeing years of hard work pay off,” OHS AD Rick Tribit said.
Kowboys’ Coach Eric Pinellas said having double-digit signees off one school’s team says a lot about the hard work that the kids put in, and the tremendous job of the program’s coaches and support staff.
“My assistant coaches prepare them daily,” he said. “We have a system here at Osceola that doesn’t change. ‘Kowboy season’ starts next week. But the kids buy-in, we say it, they do it. We see these young men mature as people and players over four years. Great kids, with great families.”
In December, defensive linemen John Walker (UCF) and Derrick LeBlanc (Oklahoma) and defensive backs Ja’Keem Jackson (Florida) and Bo Mascoe (Rutgers) signed on.
