SIGNING DAY
Trojans send four to college ranks
Hot Springs World Class High School held a ceremony for National Signing Day on Wednesday to celebrate four student-athletes who signed their letters of intent to play football in college.
Senior Trojans Ramello Cason, Damien Walker, Da’Shan Doss and Eddie Miles were recognized on the stage of the Johnnie Mae Mackey Theatre with their season highlights playing on a screen behind them.
“This is a very exciting day for us in Trojan country to see four young men take the next step for the future of their lives,” said Taryn Echols, principal of Hot Springs World Class High School.
“This is taking these kids’ lives in directions that we all want them to go,” said Hot Springs head football coach Darrell Burnett. “This is better than football. This is better than any sport; this is better than any touchdown.
“This is actually putting their lives in the right direction, so they can come back and make Hot Springs a better community.”
Cason scored a 25 on his ACT and received a scholarship worth more than $142,000 to play for the Ouachita Baptist Tigers in Arkadelphia.
“Mello did a great job for us this year, not only being a good kid but being a coach on the field,” Burnett said. “Not only that — 25 on his ACT.
“That is something for every student-athlete to shoot for. Not only every student-athlete, that goes for every student in our student body.”
Cason was a First-Team All-5A-South selection at tight end. He was also named First-Team All-Garland County in December by The Sentinel-Record.
“Let’s hope Mello takes care of his business, don’t
show anybody any mercy and go get that spot,” Burnett said. “Earn your money, and go put Hot Springs on the map.”
Cason made 58 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss and six sacks in his senior season. He has played defensive tackle throughout high school, but Burnett said Ouachita is likely to look at him as a defensive end.
“I never knew why they called him, ‘Uncle,’ but once you coach him, you’ll see,” Burnett said. “He thinks he is older than everybody. He’ll never be quiet.
“As you can see when you watch his highlight film, he is the last one to get his stance because he will try to tell everybody what to do.”
Burnett said Walker (6-1, 210) had his sights set one rushing for 1,000 yards in his senior season. Walker started at defensive end and did not become the team’s feature running back until the middle of the season.
“We wanted him to value team and family,” Burnett said. “The only reason he toted that ball from the middle of the season on to the end is because he bought in.”
Walker signed Wednesday to play for Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock. The Buffaloes compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association.
“He positioned himself in front of the OBU coaches and in front Arkansas Baptist at the Lakeside game to further his academic and athletic career,” Burnett said.
Burnett said Walker became a team leader. Walker had 21 tackles and three sacks on defense, while running for 593 yards and scoring eight touchdowns.
“He had a huge year,” Burnett said. “Although the record did not show it, this guy changed as a man. He changed as a young man.”
Doss also signed on Wednesday to play for Arkansas Baptist. Burnett said Doss and his coaches had to work through frustrations earlier in the season.
“When we first got him and told him to walk off the field, Da’Shan walked off the field,” Burnett said. “Now, when we start to tell him to leave, Da’Shan would be his toes on the white line and say, ‘Coach, I’m not going anywhere.’
“That is growth. That is growth as a young man. That is him accepting coaching. That is him accepting criticism.”
Doss had 78 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, five sacks and an interception this season. He was named to the All-5A-South Second Team and the All-Garland County Second Team at linebacker.
Burnett said Doss also developed into a team leader.
“It was simple things,” Burnett said. “We were down 18 points, and he was jogging off the field trying to get everyone else going. I’m telling you, we value that stuff.
“We appreciate it because kids don’t have to do that. Kids can be all about themselves. They don’t have to think about the team. They don’t have to think about the community; they don’t have to think about the school district. We are very proud to have Da’Shan as a member of our football team, as a member of our community and a member of our school district.”
Miles committed to Henderson State in Arkadelphia as a preferred walk-on. He also received a preferred walk-on offer to Arkansas Baptist.
“The thing about Eddie is he gave us effort,” Burnett said. “He gave us effort every day in practice. He competed like crazy. He competed like crazy during the games.”
Burnett said Miles improved his ACT score and progressed during the season after playing football for the first time since the eighth grade. He was one of the team’s two leading receivers on offense.
Miles led the conference and tied for the second-most interceptions in Class 5A with six. He also made 33 tackles and broke up eight passes. He was an All-5A-South and First-Team All-Garland County selection.
“A lot of people don’t know he broke the trend; he broke the mold,” Burnett said. “Him and Trent (Gordon) were the first two basketball guys that were basketball-only that said, ‘Coach, we are going to give it a try.’
“Now, we’ve got more basketball guys, and we’ve got more soccer guys. We’ve got everybody trying to come together and be a family and be with our football program.”
Hot Springs was 1-9 overall and 1-6 in the 5A-South this season, but Miles and Gordon have helped the Trojans go 21-3 this season in basketball and 9-1 in conference going into Friday’s game at Lake Hamilton (19-2, 10-0).
Burnett played football in college for the Reddies. He said he talked to head coach Scott Maxfield on Tuesday and said Henderson is excited for Miles to be part of the program.
“Don’t be in a hurry to get back,” Burnett said to all four signees. “Go get your education. Go change the mold, and let’s make sure all of these other kids get to see this more and more.
“We’ve got four guys here this year. We hope to have eight next year. We hope to have 12. We want this to grow and be a bigger event every year. Just know we have the best interests of your kids. We are going to push them, and we are going to challenge them. They are going to feel uncomfortable, but trust us, we are going to do everything we can to look out for them every day through their lives.”