It's not an official national holiday, but for many high school athletes across the nation each year, it's a day that is anticipated with nervous optimism. Each year, in early February, hundreds of high school football players put their names on paper to formally commit to extending their playing careers on the college and university level. These commitments also bring an opportunity to continue playing a game they love and, more importantly, continue their education and earn a college degree. On Wednesday, Feb. 2, four Cowboy football players from Madison County High School (MCHS) joined that elite group and signed letters of intent to play football at the next level.
Ke’Shaun Mitchell, Jahyren Lee, and JT McKnight all signed to become Yellow Jackets and play football at Allen University in Columbia, S.C. The fourth Cowboy, Trez Hopkins made his commitment to play for the Knights of Kentucky Christian University, in Grayson, Ky. Both schools are Division II schools. Allen University plays in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Kentucky Christian University plays in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Last season, the Yellow Jackets had a record of 4-5, while the Knights posted a 3-7 mark.
Mitchell established himself as one of the top Cowboy defensive players to wear the maroon and silver during his career at MCHS. During his senior year, Mitchell had 147 total tackles, including 16 tackles for loss. He also set the record for career tackles at MCHS. He was named a MaxPreps Small School All-American and was named the Class 1A Player of the Year by the Florida Dairy Farmers. He plans to study business management while at Allen University and hopes to eventually own his own trucking company. He is the son of Gregory Mitchell and Lashandra Hampton.
McKnight was a dominant force on the Cowboys' defensive line this season, racking up 98 total tackles and 26 tackles-for-loss. He plans to study business management at Allen University and eventually go into real estate. He is the son of Nija Proctor.
Lee was another clear reason the Cowboys defensive unit was so powerful this season. During his senior season with the Cowboys, he had 109 total tackles, 30 of which were tackles-for-loss, including 13 quarterback sacks. Lee was also selected to play in the Blue/Gray All-Star Game in Tampa. Lee says he plans to study criminal justice and business management at Allen University. He is the son of Travis and Pam Irvine.
Hopkins was one of the “Hawgs” of the Cowboys' offensive line that was crucial to the success of the Cowboys' rushing attack. Hopkins was also lovingly known as the “Deacon” for the football team because of his deeply held spiritual beliefs. “If you're ever in need of prayer, Trez is your guy,” said Head Coach Mike Coe. Hopkins plans to study counseling and psychology while enrolled at Kentucky Christian University. He is the son of Daryl and Mannika Hopkins.