19 Panthers sign letters of intent
Group was two short of last year’s school record.
PALM BEACH GARDENS — 2018 gave 2017 a run for its money at Dwyer High School on Wednesday morning. Nineteen student-athletes — two short of last year’s record total — signed collegiate letters of intent inside the school’s packed media center.
Four baseball players, eight football players, two lacrosse players, two soccer players and two softball players participated in the school’s annual signing day ceremony. One other student-athlete — football player Cameron Jonas, already enrolled at Syracuse University — did not attend the event.
Jonas and his teammates join a long list of Panthers football players who have gone on to play in college. Last year’s group included quarterback Toddy Centeio (Temple) and defensive backs Raven Saunders (N.C. State) and Cedrick Dort (Kentucky).
This year’s group — so far — includes Justin Birchette (Ohio); Lubens Ervil ( Jacksonville); Javon Hubbard (Gannon); Dalton Hustad (FAU); Jeff Martini (Florida Institute of Technology); Brendan Parr (Keiser); Andrew Kasten (Drake); and Cephus Smith (Hutchinson Community College). Longtime coach Jack Daniels said he expects more players will sign in the coming months.
Nearly half of the Dwyer football players who signed Wednesday will stay in Florida, including two who aren’t leaving Palm Beach County. Parr, whose older brother, Daniel, played quarterback at Dwyer and at FAU before transferring to Duquesne in December, said he looks forward to getting his college career underway at Keiser, which will play its first game this fall.
Hustad also welcomes the opportunity to play for coach Lane Kiffin at FAU. Hustad committed to the Owls on Monday and wore an FAU cap to Wednesday’s ceremony. “You can’t beat the weather,” he said of the Boca Raton school. “And I really like the whole school. They’re all really nice there, and straight up with you.”
Also signing Wednesday: Danny Lynch (Southern Miss, baseball); Ruairi Murphy ( Jacksonville, baseball); Charlie Von Werne (Lehigh, baseball); Ryan Wimbush (University of Miami, baseball); Drew McKenna (Dean College, lacrosse); Stone Flanery (Lynn University, lacrosse); Lexi Bolton (Texas-San Antonio, soccer); Jadyn Matthews (Cornell, soccer); Nicole Collins (Clarion University, softball); and Taylor Hansel (Palm Beach State, softball).