It was a special day for the Patriots as seven student-athletes officially committed to continuing their academic and athletic careers at the college level.
From the football program, Carson Derey will play at Richmond, while standout Rod Tasko is heading to VMI. Josh Williams will compete in the ODAC at Randolph-Macon, and Dayvion Journiette will suit up for Bluefield alongside teammate Seth Shephard.
The swimming program saw Jackson Rooney commit to Washington College in Maryland, while soccer player Sam Dowdy will take his talents to VMI.
Patriots Athletic Director Lee Johnson acknowledged how challenging the recruiting process has become in today’s college sports landscape.
“It feels great. Recruiting has changed so much,” Johnson said. “It is hard for high schoolers to get recruited these days with the portal and everybody moving around. It’s like the Wild West out there—guys can go where they want to go, all athletes can move around. For a high schooler to get recruited and get money is a lot more special than it used to be because it’s hard.”
