Keeping up with the local college freshmen
Nothing gets me more excited in my job as sports information director at Waynesburg University than hearing rumors of a big name recruit thinking about playing for the Yellow Jackets. Some surprisingly well known high school names have shown interest in the Orange and Black over my eight years with the school. Unfortunately, not all of them have followed through with attending the institution, while some — and this is even more frustrating — did enroll at Waynesburg but decided to end their competitive careers at the high school level.
This interest in recruiting and signing uber-talented young men and women began well before I even began my role with my current employer. Whether it was keeping up with the latest Division I signings, or building my own dynasties on video games like the NCAA Football franchise, freshman phenoms have always been something of an obsession of mine.
Last year was a memorable and successful one for the five Greene County high schools as a whole. A big reason for all those wins, titles and accolades was a gaggle of seniors who knew how to win and knew how to put up big numbers.
I was able to do a little research and here are updates on what some of last year’s high school stars are up to after graduation.
Perhaps the biggest individual senior headline maker was Waynesburg Central wrestling standout A.C. Headlee. After winning the 2015 PIAA AAA title at 132 pounds, Headlee traveled south to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to wrestle for Waynesburg legend Coleman Scott’s University of North Carolina Tar Heels.
Unlike most freshmen, Headlee did not redshirt during his rookie season of college wrestling. He made a good first impression by placing third at 133 pounds in the Virginia Tech Open. Since then, the WCHS grad has been in and out of the Heels’ starting lineup, but looks to finish strong in his freshman year.
After Headlee, Waynesburg’s biggest impact senior wrestler was Shane Piper, who decided to forego college and serve his country in the United States Marine Corps. According to Piper’s Facebook page, he is flourishing in the military as a Private First Class in the USMC.
Few schools had a better all-around year in terms of athletic success than Jefferson-Morgan, particularly the Lady Rocket programs. No team was as memorable as the J-M softball squad, which not only won the WPIAL title, but captured the hearts and attention of Greene County and beyond with its Team Dugan campaign.
While there was plenty of star power for the Orange and Black, catcher Reagan Rush possessed perhaps the most raw talent of any player on the roster. Her combination of a powerful bat, above-average athleticism and cannon of a right arm drew the attention of plenty of colleges looking to add her to their ranks.
In the end, Rush chose to attend Seton Hill College in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The Division II Griffins are scheduled to play their first game on Feb. 28, as part of a spring break trip in Clermont, Florida. With only two catchers listed on the preseason roster, Rush could see plenty of early field time.
Staying in Jefferson, some might say that football and basketball standout Rece Henneman was head-and-shoulders above his competition. That point becomes quite literal considering his 6-6 frame.
While Henneman was a true two-sport star for three years, he seemed to put the lion’s share of his focus into basketball. That decision spilled over into his post-high school career, as he is currently a member of the Carlow University men’s basketball team in Pittsburgh. Henneman has appeared in three games off the bench for the Celtics.
Last, but not least, are a pair of standouts from Carmichaels. Both Caroline Cree and Erica Burns were dominant in their respective sport of choice. Cree became the latest in an ever-growing line of 1,000-point scorers for the Lady Mike girls basketball team, while Burns completed four years as one of the top softball pitchers in the area.
While Cree decided to hang up her sneakers and is attending Saint Vincent College, Burns will return to the circle this spring for NAIA program Point Park in Pittsburgh. The Pioneers are a consistently successful program and head coach Michelle Coultas said the following about the former Carmichaels righty on the Point Park athletics website.
“Erica was a great pick-up,” said Coultas. “She comes from a winning program. She will mainly be a pitcher, but I can put her anywhere [on the field]. She’s versatile and has a great bat. Erica is the consummate athlete.”