Three Laurel standout athletes signed scholarships on Thursday morning.
William Mora and Kaleb Gaston signed with William Carey University in men’s soccer, while Mikayla Julien inked with Copiah-Lincoln Community College in women’s soccer inside the school’s auditorium.
"It's a blessing to play college [ball] period," said Mora and Gaston's head soccer coach Markel Milsap. "It's a blessing for any kid to sign a scholarship, go off to college, and take the next challenge. It's an excellent opportunity for these young men to go out and learn how to live everyday life on your own.
"I'm proud of those guys. [Mora and Gaston] earned the opportunity to get a scholarship at William Carey. I graduated from William Carey as well. I played soccer there, and they have some awesome coaches."
Julien head coach Rick Sager shared the same overall excitement in seeing his player get the opportunity to compete at the next level.
“We didn’t have any seniors last year,” said Sager. She’s college material. She’s strong, physical, and fast. She’s going to do well.
“It’s great to see her get the opportunity. It’s what we [as coaches] do this for.”
What the individual Laurel standouts had to say:
William Mora:
“Coach Tom [Dos Anjos] came down to watch one of our games. After the game, he talked to a few of us and invited us on a visit and training session with them. After the session, he extended us the offer to sign.
“I’ve been waiting for this. I’m ready to take myself to the next level.”
Kaleb Gaston:
"It was an easy recruitment process for me. I went down to [visit] William Carey and got to see how good of a school it is. The classroom ratio is small, so it will be more hands-on with the teachers, which is good for my education. I liked it. I'm looking forward to ball-out down there.
"It's a blessing. Growing up, I never thought I'd be able to have this opportunity. I didn't know I'd be a soccer player; I thought I'd play basketball or baseball. But soccer is something that I feel in love with."
Mikayla Julien:
“Copiah-Lincoln is a good program. They have a good school program as well.
“I wasn’t planning on going to school for soccer. But Coach Sager talked me into it. I didn’t know if I was going to get a scholarship, but I did. I’m excited about this upcoming fall season. I hope I get to start. I want to get better and learn as I go. My dream is to play at a four-year university one day and get the chance to play pro soccer.”
