Entering a New Chapter

Senior athletes furthering their academic and athletic careers will be entering a new chapter of their lives to pursue their sports at the college level. They have put so much work in throughout high school and it is finally paying off. From early morning practices to championship games underneath the lights, these students are ready to take it to the next level. Pennridge has over 30 of these outstanding athletes that will be furthering their talents in college. This school year, Pennridge has had three signing days, the final one being Monday, April 25. Seventeen athletes were a part of the final signing day and participated in the following sports: football, lacrosse, field hockey, basketball, soccer, water polo, volleyball, baseball, and track and field. The final signing day was hosted in the audion and represented the hard work that these athletes have put in on and off the field.

For the 12 years that Athletic Director, Scott Hegen has been a member of the Pennridge high school administrative staff, signing day has always been something that Pennridge has offered. In former years he has been the House Principal for the Classes of 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2021. Just recently in 2021, he transitioned to be the Assistant Principal of Athletics and Pupil Services. Signing day in previous years was in the library but Hegen said, “we wanted to make it bigger and better, so now we are using the audion.” Hegen is extremely proud of all the athletes and he makes it clear that this day is for the kids. He stated, “When I got this job, one of my focus points was about celebrating kids.” This is a day for families, students, and coaches to all come together and recognize the accomplishments of these athletes. What people have to remember is college sports are significantly harder and require much more time than high school sports do. These athletes are going to be going from being one of the best on their team to having to prove their talents over again. It’s going to be a difficult adjustment for them and signing day is the perfect opportunity to show these athletes support.

When choosing a college, much more than athletics goes into consideration. Most of the time, the search for colleges starts around junior and even sophomore year for these athletes. College recruitment is a long process where athletes have to complete tasks such as creating an athletic resume, making a highlight tape, filling out the school’s student-athlete questionnaire, and most importantly emailing coaches. Alongside that, the athlete needs to make sure that the schools they are looking at not only have their sport but also their major. There are things that each student looks at when deciding. When Logan McGowan chose Eastern University to pursue his football career, he said that “nice facilities and good location,” were some factors that led him into choosing Eastern University. McGowan committed to play at Eastern University at the end of January 2022. He says that he is most excited to “play with new teammates.”

As these student-athletes enter a brand new chapter of their lives, they will sadly have to leave Pennridge and all their former teammates. Looking into the future though, “I don’t think we’re going to slow down,” says Hegen. As they are entering junior and senior year, this summer some of them have the opportunity to stand out. The girls’ soccer team is known for its success throughout the years. Anna Croyle and Liv Grenda are among several high-level recruits for girls soccer. Soon, they will be sitting in the same spots that Senior athletes did on Monday, April 25. At the end of the day, we really have to appreciate Pennridges’ coaches for guiding these athletes through the road to success. “We got great kids and really good coaches,” says Hegen. This mix of outstanding coaches and skilled athletes is the perfect combination for helping players enter college.