Rock Hill Bearcats duo signs NLIs
Travis Scheppele and Logan Sexton signed documents Wednesday that will further their athletic and academic careers in college.
Scheppele will play soccer at USC Lancaster for his club soccer coach, Alex Tarque, who recently took over the Lancers program. Sexton, whose senior wrestling season was ended abruptly in December when he dislocated his knee cap, will wrestle at Spartanburg Methodist College.
The Rock Hill duo both share an interest in performing arts and will at least minor in their respective interests. Scheppele is an accomplished cellist and Sexton said he was interested in acting or producing films.
Scheppele was a bit surprised to be in the position he was in Wednesday morning, signing a document that committed him to college soccer. He said he was reinvigorated by second-year Bearcats coach Cesar Robles once he took over the program last season.
“I’m really thankful for it,” said Scheppele. “My coaches all around and my dad really pushing me through it and motivating me to stay with it.”
Scheppele is an adept shot-stopper, but said he wants to improve his distribution and kicking. Reuniting with his club coach at Discoveries, Tarque, was an appealing possibility for the senior goalie.
“He really cares about his players, cares about the program a lot,” said Scheppele.
Sexton’s decorated wrestling career ended when he popped his knee out of place, and he still won’t be cleared for another two weeks. He won 202 matches in his career, helping the Bearcats to multiple team state championships during his four years on the squad. But he admitted he was doubtful his wrestling career would continue beyond Rock Hill High after the stomach-turning injury.
“I didn’t think I was gonna wrestle again honestly,” said Sexton. “Day after day I just came to practice and go to the tournaments and I was like, ‘I’ve got to get back out there. I can’t end it like that.’ This is the most I’ve been ready to wrestle in so long.
“Being away and then coming and seeing it, it killed me.”
Sexton – who has a grade point average just below 4.0 – didn’t have any wrestling plans beyond the two years at Spartanburg Methodist. He seemed very focus on the present, chiefly getting back on the mat.
His sole goal was to transfer to a four-year school that “has a good theater program and wherever I can lower the cost of college.”
This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 10:18 AM with the headline "Rock Hill Bearcats duo signs NLIs."