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More than a dozen Franklin Warriors on May 9 signed commitment papers to play their respective sports for colleges across the country.
The 16 athletes represented football, baseball, women’s wrestling, swim, track and field, and women’s and men’s soccer.
“A very prideful day for me today, this is what it’s all about,” said Ken Margolin, Franklin’s Athletic Director.
Margolin said it was good to have that number of athletes “that are going to pursue their dream of playing college athletics at the next level.”
“We have some Division I, Division II, Division III, and if you want to play at the next level, there’s a place for almost everybody to play at the next level if you work hard enough,” he said.
“And I think what we’ve proven is that regardless of what people say about Franklin High School, you can achieve academically, and you can achieve athletically,” Margolin said. “And really, once you set your goals, put them in place, put them in motion, you can achieve anything you want.”
Margolin pointed out that five seniors were in the ceremony.
“Five’s a big number,” he said. “Three of them are going to Eastern, so there’s a nice little connection there.”
Margolin said that disproves one of the criticisms of football head coach Blair Wilson.
“One of the criticisms of Coach Blair was that he doesn’t get kids into college to play college football,” he said. “Well, clearly that’s not the case. And then we have a junior, Miles, who’s been offered by about 17 Division I schools already. Division I schools. So, that’s a misnomer to say that Coach doesn’t get kids into college to play, because he does.”
The student-athletes signing, and the colleges they will attend, are:
- Football
- Christopher Mahaley, Kean University
- Ethan Villa, Kean University
- Jayden Hay, Lycoming College
- Christian Lewis, Eastern University
- Alhaji Kallon, Eastern University
- Unisa Kamara, Eastern University
- Baseball
- Izaiah Robinson, Caldwell University
- Women’s Wrestling
- Alberta Lasayo, Felician University
- Swim
- AJ Van Beveren, Ramapo College
- Track and Field
- Michael Solomon, Houhgton University
- Arden Gray, Hampton University
- Women’s Soccer
- Ivy Pennyfeather, Delaware State University
- Keliah Cottrell, Rutgers University – Newark
- Men’s Soccer
- Daniel Straub, King’s College
- Also:
- Mike Schiermeyer, St. Peter’s University
- Nicole Undarnath, Regis College
Here are some scenes from the afternoon:
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