NSD 2020: Pike Road has 11 sign - puppy not included

Pike Road athletes to sign scholarships on Wednesday included: (front row) Corbin Grant, Aubrey Grace, Easton Wilcoxson and Baron Brack; (back row) Mayor Gordon Stone, Dewey Terry, CJ Paymon, Elijah Manora, Bryce Kelly. Also pictured, Pike Road principal David Sikes.

By TIM GAYLE

PIKE ROAD – In the end, a puppy stole the show at Pike Road’s first-ever signing ceremony in the school gym.

Pike Road’s first senior class, comprised of 11 football players, was honored on Wednesday morning as eight of them signed letters of intent or financial agreements to continue their playing career in college. 

Two turned down offers to play college football and opted instead to go to junior college and play baseball. 

Four others signed with Division I football programs, with one playing at the Football Bowl Subdivision level and the other three at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

The remaining pair signed with Division III Huntingdon College.

C.J. Paymon announces his intentions to sign with Samford University and uses the perfect prop, a puppy. (By Tim Gayle).

“I’m extremely proud of this group,” Pike Road coach Patrick Browning said. “They’ve put in a tremendous amount of work to get to this point. To have this amount of kids signing in such a small class is truly remarkable.”

The highlight of the class was Bryce Kelly, a running back at Trinity Presbyterian who transferred to Pike Road for his final two years and transformed himself into a receiver capable of earning an offer from Troy University.

“It’s awesome,” Kelly said. “I played running back my first few years of varsity football and then I transferred here and played receiver, so it means a lot to me that I can sign at the receiver position after only two years of playing it. Both my parents went to Troy, I know a lot of people who went to Troy, I’ve always liked Troy and it’s amazing they’re giving me the opportunity to play for them.” 

But on a day where a football program was praised and players were honored with accolades and compliments from everyone, including mayor Gordon Stone, the climatic moment belonged to a tiny bulldog, smuggled into the gym to serve as a prop for CJ Paymon when he made his announcement that he would be signing with the Samford Bulldogs on Wednesday. 

“My sister brought it,” Paymon said. “I just found out about it today.”

Paymon, a tailback at Montgomery Academy who transferred to Pike Road for his final two seasons, played quarterback as a junior and primarily at linebacker as a senior, where he earned the attention of head coach Chris Hatcher and his staff.

“When I went, it felt like home,” Paymon said. “It felt like I belonged there and that’s really what I was looking for in a college. And I’ll have a good education when I leave there.”

Defensive tackle Corbin Grant had one of the best stories on signing day. He was weighing offers and uncertain of what he would do on signing day when his dream school, Alabama State, offered him late last week, giving him the opportunity to join teammate Aubrey Grace, the Patriots’ punter and placekicker who signed in December.

“I had (offers) from Faulkner, Huntingdon and West Alabama,” Grant said. “To play for Alabama State, I never would have thought I could go D-I. Playing at the school I’ve seen so much throughout my life – I have plenty of alumni in my family – it’s just a proud moment that they saw something in me, to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in me. That’s an opportunity I can’t wait to take advantage of.” 

Grace delayed his announcement until Wednesday so he could share it with his teammates.

“It just shows how hard I worked and everybody here worked,” he said. “I think it shows how much Pike Road means to us and how hard we worked. Next year, I’ll be punting and a year after that I’ll (add placekicking and kicking off). I was so excited that I’ll have somebody I know (when Grant received a scholarship from the Hornets). We can ease into it together.”

Two more players, right guard Elijah Manora and right tackle Dewey Terry, signed with Huntingdon.

“I didn’t play last year because I had a bad back injury,” Terry said. “To come back this year with one year of varsity, it just means so much that they gave me an opportunity to continue my playing career. This day is awesome.”

Joining Manora makes it even better, he added.

“I don’t really know anyone at Huntingdon,” he said. “The fact that my partner, my right guard, it’s amazing that he’s able to come with me.”

Manora had a similar reaction.

“It’s fun to know we’re going to play a few more years together and get to go to college together,” he said. “It’s a big opportunity. Not everybody can play at the next level, no matter what division it is. It’s a privilege.”

Quarterback Baron Brack and defensive back Easton Wilcoxson opted to play baseball instead.

“Baron and Easton are both tremendous athletes and both had the opportunity to sign a football scholarship but their true passion is baseball,” Browning said. “I want every kid that I coach to follow their passion. They’re going to have tremendous success at the next level playing baseball but we’re appreciative of what they did for Pike Road.”

Brack signed with Steve Helms and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.

“It was definitely a conflict,” Brack said. “It’ll give me more time to develop, I’ll play a lot more games this way and I’m not having to worry about the stress of playing football, too. I’m really excited about it. He’s a great coach with a great record. Every player that comes out of there is usually pretty good.”

Wilcoxson, the son of Florida International softball coach Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson, signed with Enterprise State Community College.

“I feel like I’ll have a better future in baseball,” he said. “I figured if I go to junior college for two years and develop my skills, I can finish my last two years at a four-year (school) and actually get a degree.”

With the first graduating class in school history earning athletic offers to six different institutions, Browning believes his 2019 team will continue to spread the brand of Pike Road football.

“It’s rare, what this senior class has accomplished over their time here at Pike Road, on the field and off the field,” he said. “I haven’t been part of a group that’s had this many sign in such a small class before. They really set the footprint of what every class needs to strive for and try to accomplish.”