Trio of Bulldogs standouts sign to continue playing at the next level
Following their strong prep careers at Cedartown High School, four Bulldog standouts signed on the dotted line on April 27 to continue their athletic and academic careers. Seniors Mario Maldonado and Dashawn Ware signed a National Letter of Intent with Shorter University, while Jaquan Darden confirmed his pledge to Finlandia University.
Mario Maldonado was a soccer star at CHS before deciding to join the team for the 2021 season. As a senior this past fall, Maldonado was fourth on the team in scoring with 46 points. Aside from being a reliable field goal kicker and extra point specialist, he also averaged 54.6 yards per kickoff with 20 touchbacks. Maldonado was named an Region 7-4A Honorable Mention Kicker for his efforts as well.
Mario will not have to travel far to further his career after committing to and signing with Shorter. The Hawks, which compete in a stacked Gulf South Conference of Division II, return their starting kicker in rising senior Nick Pope, but could be planning to redshirt Maldonado this fall in order to have him ready to take over for the 2023 season.
Dashawn Ware was a multi-year starter at Cedartown High School. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder received playing time as a running back and wide receiver for the Bulldogs but shined on the defensive side of the ball as a linebacker. Ware was fourth on the team last season with 57 total tackles and four tackles-for-loss. He added five quarterback hurries, one sack, and one fumble recovery during the 2021 season.
A First-Team All-Region 7-4A selection at linebacker a season ago, Ware will look to earn some playing time this fall as part of a talented linebacker room in Rome. Although Shorter finished the 2021 season with a 3-8 record, there was no shortage of talent on the defense, and adding Darden will likely boost their unit’s play sooner rather than later.
Jaquan Darden earned plenty of playing time in 2021 for Cedartown. The 5-foot-7 athlete found the field as both a running back and linebacker throughout his career but will likely project as the latter at the next level. Although he battled injuries last season, Darden tallied five total tackles and two quarterback hurries in six games.
Darden earned an offer to Finlandia, a Division III institution in Hancock, Mich. The Lions compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference against the likes of Northwestern Minn., UMMorris, and Martin Luther, and are coming off a winless season. Darden and Finlandia will look for their first win since the 2017 season this fall.
With the signings of Maldonado, Ware, and Darden, eight of the 14 senior football players on Cedartown High School’s 2021 roster have earned scholarships to play at the next level.