Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Signing day Fayetteville athletes signal intent to play college basketball.
FAYETTEVILLE — Sasha Goforth and Coriah Beck will have one more season together before beginning their college basketball careers far away from one other.
Goforth signed a letter of intent Wednesday with Oregon State, a Pac-12 school located in Corvallis, Ore. Beck, her longtime friend and teammate at Fayetteville, will stay closer to home after signing with Memphis.
The campuses at Oregon State and Memphis are separated by over 2,500 miles, but Beck and Goforth said they plan to stay in contact with each other the same way young people today stay connected — through social media.
“Coriah is definitely my best friend and we are together every single day,” Goforth said. “It’s going to be hard when we’re that far away from each other. But I know for a fact we will talk and stay best friends.”
Goforth and Beck were among 12 Fayetteville athletes to sign letters of intent at Bulldog Arena Wednesday on the first day of the national signing period.
Goforth is rated a 4-star player who had over 30 scholarship offers after averaging 16.6 points and 5.5 rebounds as a junior. She chose Oregon State over Arkansas and Texas A&M. Beck could’ve followed the path of her father, Corey Beck, a starting guard on Arkansas’ national championship team in 1994, but she decided on a different route. Beck averaged 13.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists as a junior for Fayetteville.
“I’m from Memphis and Memphis is the best fit for me,” Beck said. “Sasha and I, we’re seniors, so we’re going to come even harder this year in trying to win a state championship.”
Fayetteville coach Vic Rimmer touted the girls’ impact on the FHS program and said he’s confident they’ll continue to have success on the college level.
“Coriah and Sasha have created a tremendous legacy at FHS as Lady Bulldogs,” Rimmer said. “It is rare to hear one name without the other. Our school and community have benefited from their talent, work ethic, and competitive spirit. We are confident each will have equally successful results at the collegiate level.”
Left-handed pitcher Matthew Magre and infielder Beau Stuckey were among the five Fayetteville baseball players who’ll continue their careers in college. Magre signed with Arkansas and Stuckey signed with Missouri State, where veteran coach Keith Guttin leads a program that is a frequent participant in the NCAA Tournament.
Magre, Stuckey, and pitcher Seth Adams, who signed with Missouri, play on the same summer league team in addition to their roles with the Bulldogs in the spring.
“It’s going to be fun to see each other here and there and possibly play against each other,” Magre said. “For me, it’s been a dream of mine, growing up here in
Fayetteville, to play for the Hogs. It’s been a lot of hard work and today is the day its finally come to fruition.”
Stuckey (.288, 7 doubles, 1 home run, 14 RBIs) is a shortstop and wide receiver whose senior year on the football field was cut short by a knee injury. His first love is baseball and he’s excited to join a respected Missouri State program that is close to home. The Fayetteville High teammates will meet as college players on April 14 when Missouri State plays Arkansas at Baum Stadium.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play college sports,” said Stuckey, who plans to return from injury and play for the Bulldogs this spring. “It’s exciting the day is finally here to sign that piece of paper.”
Adams (1-1, 4.84 ERA) will likely see some action at Baum Stadium after he signed with Missouri of the SEC East on Wednesday. Todd Butler, a former assistant coach to Dave Van Horn at Arkansas, is now an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Missouri.
Mary Houston will join Stuckey at Missouri State following her high school career as one of the top tennis players in the state. Houston was named All-Arkansas Preps girls tennis Player of the Year after winning the overall state championship in 2018. She led Fayetteville to Class 6A state championships in 2018 and 2017 and was named to the All-Arkansas Preps team for 2018, 2017, and 2016.
“I’m really excited about Missouri State,” Houston said. “It’s close to home and I really like the coach and the girls on the team. They have a positive attitude about everything and I think I’m really going to like it there.”