Nation Ford athletes make their choices on National Signing Day

Seven athletes from Nation Ford High put their names on letters of intent on National Signing Day to play on the college level.

Six soccer players and one football player from Nation Ford made it official Wednesday morning with a signing held at the school. The athletes are:

Kirk Rygol

The lone football player from Nation Ford who signed a letter of intent Wednesday was quarterback Kirk Rygol, who played his senior season at the school after transferring in from Virginia. Rygol had big shoes to fill at the quarterback position, but handled the pressure with poise while leading Nation Ford into the playoffs this season.

Rygol, 17, will be going to North Greenville University to join former Falcon Jordan Helms. He passed for 3,497 yards in 11 games for Nation Ford this past season, throwing 36 touchdowns and rushing for another six scores. He had a completion rating of 71 percent. Rygol picked North Greenville over Jacksonville University, Georgia Southern, and Eastern Kentucky.

“I really liked it,” he said. “I liked the coaches and the football program. They are a good school and it was a good choice for me.”

Rygol said he may have a chance to start as a true freshman. He plans on majoring in business.

Jori Benton and Madison Gleason

Two of the six soccer players were female athletes for the Falcons. Jori Benton will attend USC-Beaufort and Madison Gleason will attend Charleston Southern University.

Gleason, 17, said the thought of being in Charleston was enough to help convince her that is where she needed to go to further her education.

“I love Charleston,” she said. “I love the campus size and how it feels like a family.”

Gleason is undecided about her major and picked Charleston Southern over Winthrop, Wingate, Liberty and Lipscomb.

Benton, 17, won’t be too far down the road from Gleason as she will be at USC-Beaufort. She plans on majoring in mass communications and like Gleason, it was the attraction to the coast that helped lure Benton.

“I like being next to the water,” she said. “I love everything about it.”

Benton picked USC-Beaufort over Limestone, USC in Columbia and Coastal Carolina.

“I loved the campus and the coaches and the team,” she said. “It is everything I wanted in a college.”

Blake Baker and Will Martin

Blake Baker and Will Martin, both 18, have been playing soccer together since seventh grade. That won’t change anytime soon as both of them will be going to Queens University in Charlotte next year.

Baker, who looked at Presbyterian College and Michigan State, said his relationship with the coach at Queens helped him to decide on sticking close to home.

“I already fit in with their style of play,” he said. “I love the campus and the coach.”

Baker plans on majoring in exercise and sports science and rooming with his teammate in Martin.

Martin selected Queens over Radford University and Anderson University and said knowing the coach previously, who he played for in his club soccer days, and having a friend in Baker there helped with his decision.

“It’s a big comfort,” he said. “It’s far enough away for me to be independent, yet close enough for my parents to come watch me play.”

Martin said he is also looking at taking advantage of their study abroad program as well. He plans on majoring in business.

Michael Smith

Staying a little more closer to home is Smith, 18, who will be playing soccer for Winthrop. Smith said he picked Winthrop because it was the best fit for him.

“I loved the campus and I am happy with the school as a whole,” he said.

Smith, who will be majoring in business administration, picked Winthrop over Queens and Mercer University in Georgia.

Brad Young

Young, 18, will be making the longest drive in the group by heading to Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia to play soccer. Young said he wanted to be away from home and in the mountains to further his education.

“It’s a nice campus,” he said. “It is small and quiet. The coaches there showed an interest in me and the team made sure I felt like I was already part of the team.”

Young plans on majoring in exercise science.

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Nation Ford athletes make their choices on National Signing Day."