Five South Pointe athletes make their decisions

In front of one of the biggest assemblies for a signing ceremony at South Pointe High School, five Stallions put pen to paper Friday inking agreements that see them continue their athletic careers in college.

Ashlynn Mullis (North Greenville, golf), Cameron Davis (Francis Marion, women’s basketball), Austin Harrigan (Erskine, baseball), Marveon Mobley (Fullerton Community College, football) and Steven Bledsoe (Union College, football) were celebrated in the school’s media center.

Ashlynn Mullis

Mullis spent her first three years of high school at Rock Hill High, where she played for the South Pointe squad as a junior since the Bearcats didn’t field a team. When South Pointe dropped down to 3A this year, Mullis moved into the district so she could continue playing for the Stallions and coach Kimberly Case.

“I was so sad when I found out that was gonna happen,” said Mullis, who will study art and graphic design at North Greenville. “I decided to move so I could stay with my team. We knew we definitely could contend at getting a championship.”

Mullis’ father is a former golf pro in Hilton Head, but she got a late start with the game.

“I didn’t realize the scholarship opportunities,” said Mullis, who used to be a cheerleader and gets A’s and B’s.

She began playing as a ninth grader, but even coming into this year she mostly shot in the 80s. But something clicked late in the season and she shot in the 70s at the state championship tournament, helping the Stallions win the 3A state title.

“For a little bit I was struggling with my game – when was my game gonna change for me?” said Mullis. “I shot 76-75 in the playoffs and I thought, ‘I can actually do this,’ and that helped.”

Cameron Davis

Cameron Davis long looked destined for college soccer fields, but her recent success on the basketball court led her to sign with Francis Marion.

“Last summer they sent me a letter that was like, ‘Hope you have a great season,’” said Davis. “A little letter turned into a scholarship.”

Davis played soccer since she was six or seven years old, but she only picked up basketball late in middle school. Francis Marion was the only basketball option Davis had, but Coastal Carolina, Charleston Southern, Limestone and Converse College were interested in her soccer abilities.

South Pointe coach Stephanie Butler told the gathered crowd that opposing coaches told her their teams were most afraid of Davis, a warrior of a post player for the Stallions. Now she’ll go to Francis Marion to study biology with the hopes of one day becoming a zoologist.

“I was excited, I was nervous, but I’m glad it’s here,” said Davis, the senior class vice president at South Pointe. “It’s a pretty awesome feeling.”

Austin Harrigan

The emotions of signing ceremonies always vary.

Austin Harrigan seemed relieved his moment in front of close to 100 people was over.

“I didn’t like being the center of attention,” he said.

Harrigan becomes another in a heavily local recruiting class for Erskine. Harrigan, who plays shortstop and pitches for South Pointe, is slated to room with York’s Ryan Gilbert.

“It will be a lot easier on me to know somebody,” said Harrigan, an A/B student.

North Greenville and Charleston Southern were other schools looking at Harrigan. He made some history for South Pointe recently, pitching the Stallions to the program’s first win over Northwestern, the kind of thing a college baseball player would do.

“I’m not surprised at all,” said Harrigan. “I don’t mean to sound cocky. This was the plan all along.”

Marveon Mobley

Marveon Mobley leaves South Pointe with arguably one of the school’s best athletic resumes.

Mobley made All-State in basketball and football each of the past two seasons, made a number of All-region and All-Area teams and also played in the North-South All-Star basketball game this spring. Last fall he helped the Stallions win a football state title, and topped his year off by signing to play football at two-year Fullerton College in California.

“I started talking to them middle of the season and I just liked California,” said Mobley. “I just wanted to go. They have a pretty good football program and are looking to get me to the Division I level after two years.”

Fullerton coach Tim Byrnes has sent over 300 players to the NCAA ranks since taking over in 1993. Mobley hopes to add to that figure.

“I’m kind of nervous and excited at the same time,” Mobley said. “I’m just ready to take it head-on and get to school.”

Mobley, who intercepted a combined 14 passes for South Pointe the past two seasons, knows that being so far from home will be tough. But he’s spoken with his cousins Corey Neely and Anthony Johnson, both former Stallion football standouts traversing the junior college ranks.

“I get advice from them all the time,” said Mobley. “They just said to go with the decision that makes me comfortable, and when I get out there, stay focused and stay in contact with them all the time, and do what I have to do.”

Steven Bledsoe

Steven Bledsoe is still working on nailing down exactly where Barbourville, Ky., is located. The small town near Tennessee is the home of Union College, the Division II school where Bledsoe will play college football.

“You drive through mountain roads and all the sudden there’s this little town,” said Bledsoe, who started on the offensive line for South Pointe. “It’s a nice school, really good football program, a program on the rise.”

Bledsoe had other offers from Newberry and North Greenville and some Division III schools as well. Presbyterian and Coastal Carolina were interested in taking Bledsoe as a walk-on, but Union made him a nice offer that amounted to nearly a full ride.

“They really wanted me on offensive line, that I was one of the highest scholarships they’d given this year on the team,” said Bledsoe. “They’re really in need of a center, so they’re gonna move me around at guard, center.”

Bledsoe was equally attractive to Union as a student. He takes AP classes and already has knocked out some college credits. Friday was a culmination of all that effort.

“I’ve just worked hard since I was little, and never stopped having my dream in front of me,” said Bledsoe. “I was hoping for it. Glad it finally came true.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 3:17 PM with the headline "Five South Pointe athletes make their decisions."