Isabella holds signing ceremony
Published 3:09 pm Friday, March 17, 2017
Five Isabella seniors signed athletic scholarships during a ceremony on March 14 in the school’s auditorium.
Hunter Langston and Devon Headley will both play football at Huntingdon College in Montgomery.
The two were senior stalwarts this past football season and helped guide the Mustangs to a memorable season that finished with a 10-2 record and a postseason victory.
“I could always count on them,” said Tate Leonard, Isabella athletic director and head football coach.
Langston hardly came off the field during his senior season, as he played both sides of the ball. He showed a knack for big plays with four special teams touchdowns.
Headley was a force up front for Isabella, which relied heavily on the running game as part of its offense.
“Whenever we needed yards on the ground, I ran behind him [Headley],” Leonard said.
Not only will Headley and Langston remain teammates, they will also me roommates on campus.
“It will help a lot having someone that you know already,” Langston said.
Hailey Underwood will continue her volleyball career at Wallace Community College in Selma, after being a member of the varsity squad for the past three years.
During that time, Underwood helped the Mustangs to a record of 100-18, including two county tournament championships.
“It’s sad that high school is done, but it’s also exciting to start college,” Underwood said. “I felt more at home at [Wallace Community College] then anywhere else.”
This past year, as a senior, she delivered the final point that sealed a victory over Sacred Heart and locked Isabella’s spot in the Class 1A final four for the first time in school history.
According to head volleyball head coach Glen Graham, he will never forget Underwood calling for the ball just moments before following through with the match’s exclamation point.
Tyler Smitherman will attend the University of Montevallo with a track and field scholarship, along with Morgan Leonard who will be part of the cheer team at the university.
Smitherman is currently first in Class 1A in discus and third in the shot put. His personal best is a distance of 151 feet.
“I woke up this morning and realized that today was the day,” Smitherman said.
Smitherman joined the track and field program at Isabella as a freshman and almost made it to state in his very first attempt.
According to Smitherman, he learned much of his technique from watching instructional videos on Youtube and training with Chase Madison who went through the qualification process of the U.S. Olympic Trials for the 2016 games.
“I would sit out there for hours training and learning the basics,” Smitherman said.
Students and family members filled the auditorium to watch the ceremony.
“Hard work does pay off if you are persistent,” said Isabella principal Ricky Porter, to those in attendance.