Next week’s commencement exercises will mark the end of a chapter for Jones County graduates, the final chapter before what comes next.
That future is officially more clear for a quartet of graduating seniors from the Greyhounds football team that has won three region titles in a row.
Last week, JCHS hosted an official signing ceremony for four standouts to celebrate each of them continuing their career on the collegiate level.
Signing on the dotted line were receiver Tucker Mix with Mercer, placekicker Evan West with Ave Maria, Zyrique Earley with Methodist and Lamiron Solomon with Tusculum.
Mix, a multi-sport athlete with the Greyhounds who was part of the baseball team’s postseason run as an outfielder, was an invaluable cog in Jones County’s passing attack and quarterback John Alan Richter, giving Jones County an option in short-and mid-range routes to keep defenses off balance.
Mix finished the season fourth on the team in catches with 27 and ranked fifth in yards per game, as well.
He’ll be part of a Mercer program that was 7-3 last year, winning three of its final four games.
Earley is one of two from the Greyhounds defense that celebrated signing on for the next level last week. A defensive end, he was a critical part of Jones County’s pass-rushing and run-stopping efforts up front. Located in Fayetteville, NC, the Monarchs of Methodist were 7-2 last year and compete in the USA Conference that includes Lagrange College.
Solomon is the other defender from Jones County to sign last week. Capable of playing defensive end or linebacker, he had five tackles for a loss in eight games as a senior.
He’ll take his talents to a Pioneers program whose conference foes include many in the Carolinas or Tennessee, such as Lenior-Rhyne, Mars Hill and Carson-Newman.
Also making the signing official last week was West. The all-time leading scorer in program history, he’ll make his way to the Ave Maria campus in south Florida. He graduates with 291 career points, having been the Greyhounds placekicker for four years.
