100 Fort Bend ISD athletes part of signing day extravaganza
In no more than 48 hours, Ridge Point senior Ryan Ramey was honored with a state award, verbally committed to Old Dominion University and had his football future inked.
Ramey was among the 100 student-athletes from Fort Bend ISD celebrating National Signing Day at Hopson Field House on Wednesday. Many signed national memoranda of understanding during the November and December periods.
For others, opportunity knocked in the days leading up to the event.
“I actually went there for my first visit last weekend and they offered me,” Ramey said. “It’s just a great environment, great people, great school. I just really liked it there.”
Ramey, a defenseman who wants to study business administration in college, ended his high school career strong with 12 pass breakups, 43 tackles and two blocked kicks among his highlights.
It was enough to secure a spot on the Texas High School Coaches Association’s first Super Elite Team, where he joined Marshall linebacker and Arkansas State signee Jordan Sample from the FBISD.
They were among the 48 football players enjoying the atmosphere at Hopson, including several of Ramey’s teammates from a 10-3 season highlighted by district and area championships.
“It was great,” said Ramey. “We’ve been playing since little league through middle school. We all grew up competing together and it was fun.”
Ridge Point produced an impressive signing class of 36 athletes at the district height with spring signing dates still to come. Marshall’s class included 14 signers, 10 of whom Kempner sent to college programs.
The Cougars were particularly strong despite a 1-9 season. The group included linebacker and Georgetown signer Cody Nguyen-Pham.
“It’s not usually like that, but we’re trying to change the culture here,” Pham said. “Signing with my brothers is the best thing I could have had, to be honest.”
Pham, a THSCA academic all-state select, plans to study marketing or environmental engineering in Georgetown, which signed him Wednesday morning.
“It’s a blessing,” said Pham. “It’s really something I’ve been looking at for a while. It’s a very important decision, something I really had to think about and pray about to discuss with my family.”
FBISD standouts signed in nine different sports, including 13 in football, 12 in baseball, and 10 in volleyball.
All were complimented by two experienced speakers, both FBISD graduates. Clements graduate and Rangers coach Nicole Kitagawa, who played at TCU, advised being open to opportunity and taking advantage. Kitagawa, a four-sport athlete at Clements, earned her soccer scholarship by playing a player the TCU coach was looking for.
Hightower football coach and Elkins graduate Cornelius Anthony, who later played with Texas A&M and the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, reminded her to maximize every hour of the day to stand out from the rest.
Marshall State Athletics Medal winner and University of Houston signee Genesis Griffin is aiming to reach elite standards of 21 feet in the long jump and 41 feet in the triple jump as a senior in hopes of helping the Buffalos win a third straight state championship to win.
For college development, Griffin didn’t have to look far to find an elite in the field.
“My coach is one of the best jumpers in the world, Carl Lewis,” Griffin said. “When I’m mentored by someone like him, I feel like I can go really far.”
Griffin, who won the Class 5A long jump bronze medal last year, signed in November but was keen to attend Wednesday’s celebration.
“It means a lot,” Griffin said. “It took a lot of hard work and dedication to get here. I’m so proud of my team’s accomplishments and achievements and I can’t wait to see what the college level has in store for me.”
Dulles outfielder Kellan Ton also realized her dream in November, signing with the Colorado School of Mines.
“It’s really exciting,” Ton said. “I’ve always wanted to sign since I was little. I always wanted to play college softball. It’s always been a dream of mine and it’s really nice to achieve it.”
A .628 hitter last year, Ton found her ideal field of study at Mines, where teammate Renata Bolado signed a volleyball scholarship.
“It’s got a really nice campus and it’s an engineering-focused school,” Ton said. “The coaches are really nice and the program is new, so going to a new program is exciting.”
Hightower middle blocker Mia Daniel continued to enjoy the location and atmosphere of her campus in November when she joined a New Mexico State team that had not lost a season since 2000 and had 10 NCAA tournament appearances in that span.
“I paid a visit and really liked the area,” said Daniel. “It wasn’t too big, not too small. You have a lot of scenery, there are mountains. I was allowed to visit the school and meet the team. They have good chemistry and I like how the coaches work with the team. It was really fun to be a part\ and I felt very comfortable.”
Daniel, who was selected as a THSCA All-State Academic Selection last fall, intends to study Kinesiology at NMSU and is pursuing a career in physical or occupational therapy.
On the court, Daniel had 213 kills and 92 blocks as a team high to cap a successful high school career with Hightower, which has won 45 games over the past two seasons.
“Hightower is probably one of the most important things that made me the person I am today,” Daniel said. “The good and the bad with all the different teams over the years has just made me better. I have to thank my coach because she saw it in me from day one. It took me a little bit to catch on and now I’m here.”
Fort Bend ISD signers
AUSTIN
Alyssa Carter, softball, University of Houston-Victoria
Gabrielle De Jesus, Soccer, McNeese State University
Tyler Do, Baseball, Eastfield College
Raylon Holmes, Soccer, Bethel College
Solae Young, Soccer, Sam Houston State University
BUSH
Allen Aldridge III, Football, East Texas Baptist University
Angelina Ballester-Lopez, Soccer, North American University
Broc Boutte, Soccer, Midwestern State University
Paul Omodia, Soccer, Illinois State University
Clemens
Hayden Bellotti, Swimming, University of Virginia
Logan Brown, Swimming, Texas A&M University
Kaylin Daniels, volleyball, Northeastern University
Isabelle Kent, Soccer, Rice University
Nicholas Piazza, Football, East Texas Baptist University
Ferris Refai, Football, Trinity University
DULLES
Renata Bolado, Volleyball, Colorado School of Mines
Madison Hamilton, Volleyball, York University
Kylie Mueller, Beach Volleyball, Louisiana State University
Trayveon Richard, Football, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Kellan Ton, Softball, Colorado School of Mines
MOOSE
Malia Black, volleyball, Mississippi Valley State University
Ashton Payne, Soccer, Trinity Community College
Avion Stewart, Football, Blinn Junior College
Viviana Vargas, Softball, University of St. Thomas
HIGH TOWER
Mia Daniel, Volleyball, New Mexico State University
Jayden Deemer, Soccer, University of Texas-Permian Basin
Darion Terrell Embers, soccer, Alcorn State University
Kenyon Grant, Football, Sul Ross State University
Kristopher Hodges, Soccer, Texas College
Chisom Onwuzurigo, Soccer, Holy Cross University
Karlton Owens, Soccer, Minnesota West Community & Technical College
Santana Wilson, Football, Stephen F. Austin University
Kempner
Basit Adesanya, Football, Concordia University, St Paul
Charles Ebo, Soccer, Midwestern State University
Corban Evers, Soccer, Arkansas Tech University
Caleb Harris, Soccer, Louisiana Christian University
Steven Hernandez, soccer, Midwestern State University
Antonio Jacobs, Soccer, Louisiana Christian University
Cody Kuffel, baseball, Galveston College
Cody Nguyen-Pham, football, Georgetown University
Tylon Riser, football, Midway University
Noah Yassine, Soccer, Sul Ross State University
MARSHAL
Ja’koby Banks, football, University of Houston
Zachary Chapman, Football, Texas Christian University
Arveyon Davis, Athletics, Texas A&M University
Logan Granville, Football, University of the Incarnate Word
Genesis Griffin, Athletics, University of Houston
Ky Guillory, Soccer, Texas A&M Kingsville
Jaland Lowe, basketball, University of Pittsburgh
Bieshawn Mitchell, Football, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Michael Patterson, football, University of Houston
Jordan Sample, football, Arkansas State University
Elijah Sims, Soccer, Abilene Christian University
Trent Thomas, Soccer, Baylor University
Jaron Wallace, Football, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Jy’Adrian Wortham, football, Angelo State University
COMB POINT
Alicia Audu, football, Texas Southern University
Kara Canetti, Soccer, Iona University
Kaile Correa, softball, Texas College
Taylor Davis, Soccer, University of Kansas
Payton Doucet, Football, Louisiana Christian University
James Eaglin, Soccer, University of Tulsa
Peyton Farmer, Soccer, Rice University
Sydney Geter, Soccer, University of Texas at Dallas
Kellen Gradisar, Baseball, Lenoir-Rhyne University
Bailey Gray, Softball, Smith College
Reagen Green, Softball, Prairie View A&M University
Carter Groen, Baseball, Iona University
Landry Hamm, baseball, Colorado Christian University
Ethan Hunter, Diving, Southern Methodist University
Ezell Jolly Jr., Soccer, University of Texas at El Paso
Sydney Jordan, Volleyball, University of Colorado
Kennedy Joseph, Cheerleading, Texas Tech University
Dylan Kalmus, Baseball, Hendrix College
DK Kalu, Soccer, Baylor University
JJ Kennett, baseball, Dallas Baptist University
Zoe Main, football, University of Oklahoma
Logan Martin, baseball, Allen Community College
Parker Martin, baseball, Allen Community College
Brayden McCormick, baseball, Navarro Junior College
Georgia Mulholland, football, Baylor University
Ashley Pugne, Football, University of St Thomas
Ryan Ramey, Soccer, Old Dominion University
Ethan Ramos, Football, Benedictine College
Charlotte Richardson, football, University of Houston
Arissa Smith, volleyball, Mississippi State University
Seth Steiner, Cross Country, Elon University
Zion Stephens, Baseball, Abilene Christian University
Jade Uresti, softball, Prairie View A&M University
Travis Vlasek, baseball, New Mexico Junior College
Hannah Warnken, Soccer, University of Texas at San Antonio
James Walley Jr., Soccer, University of Texas at San Antonio
travis
Brianna Bejar, Athletics, University of the Incarnate Word
Ariel Kowalewski, softball, University of Florida
Kynzie Lilly, Volleyball, University of New Mexico
Brianna Munoz, soccer, Oklahoma Christian University
Ryan Williams, Volleyball, University of New Orleans
Willowridge
Isaac Orellana, Soccer, East Texas Baptist University
Tulio Nunez, soccer, Missouri Baptist University
Nicholas Shock, soccer, Missouri Baptist University
