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Local Sports

Local sports in the Panhandle are not just a game, they are a lifestyle. Our community eats, sleeps and breathes cheering on our local athletes.
News13 is On Your “Sidelines” bringing you more than the score.
News13’s Stephen Gunter is committed to giving you stories of the Panhandle’s top athletes, intriguing match-ups and unusual sports you may not even know exist.
sgunter@wmbb.com

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Signing the Dotted Line

Panama City- Some Gulf Coast student athletes never thought that signing their name to a dotted line could be so exciting, until today.

Ten Commodores from four different sports made the first step in taking their careers to the next level.

“I’m really excited, you know. This is my second time signing with a D-1 school because I’m a transfer student from Kennesaw. I was real happen to come to Gulf Coast because Coach Powell told me he can get me back to Division-1,” said basketball player Byron Walker.

Commodore Basketball star Byron Walker will indeed be back in Division-1 next year.  He along with nine other of his fellow Gulf Coast student athletes signed scholarships during the NCAA early signing period today.

Walker was joined by four Commodore women basketball players who signed as well, Dee Liles to the University of Maryland, Jackie Sanders to Kentucky, Kim Jones to Louisiana Tech and Brittney Moore to Xavier.

“I’m just basically excited to get it over with, because the process going through it in high school was just a wreck. So, that’s why I’m really excited about it,” said basketball player Brittney Moore.

Basketball wasn’t the only sport with athletes inking the dotted line, as softball and baseball players took part in the big day as well.

Amanda Byers of the Commodore softball squad signed with Rollins College and four baseball players, including Dan Jacobs to West Florida, Ben Francis to Florida State, Ryan Fraser to Memphis and Bryam Garcia to Florida International, all made huge career decisions as well.

“It’s very exciting obviously. Out of high school I didn’t really have this opportunity to go Division-1 and everything, so, coming here for one year and working hard got me an opportunity to play Division-1 next year,” said baseball player Bryam Garcia.

All of these athletes thanked Gulf Coast for giving them the opportunity to be able to sign to their four year schools.

“I was real happy that I came to Gulf Coast and I think God doesn’t make any mistakes, so God brought me down here for a reason. So, Gulf Coast helped me a whole lot,” said Walker.

“Just the whole atmosphere around Gulf Coast, they help you. I don’t think I would have been able to make it back to Xavier if I would have gone to another junior college in America,” Moore said.

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