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ANAHEIM — Eleven seniors sat at tables that stretched across the auditorium stage and displayed the colorful logos of their college selections. An audience of teammates, coaches and parents prepared to hear how these high school journeys had reached this moment.
It was just the type of scene that Western football coach Dan Davidson dreams of each National Signing Day.
Davidson’s passion for supporting the college pursuits of his players runs deep, and the Pioneers’ tally of 11 signees on Wednesday was a high for the program in his 10 years at the Anaheim Union school.
“My focus is 100 percent on education,” he said before the ceremony. “I want these guys to be student-athletes, so I want them to go to a place where they can get an education and at the same time play this game of football because it will help make it go better and (provide) a connection to that school.”
“We go and attack (the recruiting process) and we try to make this opportunity to go to college as cheap as possible,” the coach added. “I’m not going to lie, it’s a lot of work, hours upon hours.”
Western celebrated the combined efforts of the players and Davidson. In a diverse recruiting class, defensive back Joshua Faulkner signed a scholarship to Division II Black Hills State in South Dakota while the other 10 players signed commitment letters with Division III schools from California to Massachusetts.
The list of Division III-bound players: quarterback Anthony Luna (Nichols in Massachusetts); Anthony Edwards and Josh Shepperson (Muskingum in Ohio); defensive end Dominic Hadrous (Wooster in Ohio); defensive back Kenny James (Thiel in Pennsylvania); linebacker Clayton Corbett (Lawrence in Wisconsin); kicker Hamza Masadeh (Minnesota Morris); offensive lineman Ryan Reyes (Rockford in Illinois); linebacker Kainoa Valles-Blackwell (Anna Maria in Massachusetts); and tight end Dane Torrence (Redlands).
“Go out and experience a different world, come back with that knowledge but the biggest thing is that you got to come back with that (diploma),” Davidson said of his seniors who will attend college out of state. “I don’t make our focus just about a name (of the college) or the division. I make the focus about the degree.”
Davidson and the players put in the work to help that vision become a reality.
The journey starts with the Pioneers’ dedication to homework club and weekly grade checks to help ensure college eligibility.
On the football field, there is Western’s strength and conditioning program run by coach Wendell Lauderdale, who the players often acknowledged Wednesday for his grueling regiment.
“Every day felt like we were in the Army,” James said.
Davidson sends out Western’s college prospects list, including video and transcripts, to almost 750 colleges and universities.
He also assists in the research of the academic scholarships available to his players at the Division III schools, which don’t offer athletic scholarships. His meetings with the parents include details about work study opportunities and the cost of dorms.
On Signing Day, it was time to celebrate the journey.
“It’s a dream,” Davidson said “You do what you love and give these kids opportunities.”
