HAHIRA –– Valwood School hosted its National Signing Day on Wednesday as four student-athletes signed letters of intent with their respective schools.

The reigning GISA state champion Valwood Valiants football team saw its leading receiver Cam Walker, kicker John Miller and linebacker-wide receiver Jaharie Boone pick universities. Former Valwood football coach Ashley Henderson, now head coach at Thomas County Central, was in attendance and introduced each of his former players during the event.

Walker, who signed with West Georgia, helped lead the Valiants to their third state title under Henderson. As a wide receiver, Walker recorded 62 catches for 917 yards and 20 touchdowns. The 2016 GISA Region 3-3A player of the year plans to major in business at West Georgia.

“Probably one of the most highly-decorated stat guys in history of the school,” Henderson said of Walker. “He just scored his 1,200th point for the basketball team. Stats speak for themselves, but what doesn’t speak for itself is off the field, off the court––probably the best young man you’ll ever run into.

“Cam will be signing with the University of West Georgia as a wide receiver. We’re super proud of Cam as well. Congratulations, and the sky’s the limit right here.”

According to Walker, the opportunity to get away and try something new as well as joining a team accustomed to winning attracted him to sign with the Wolves.

“(I signed with West Georgia) just to get away, try something new,” Walker said. “I love the program, I love their mindset––they’re all about winning and they have a winning culture and that’s what I’m used to being around so I want to continue that in college, too.”

Joining Walker at West Georgia is kicking specialist John Miller. The senior established himself as one of the premier kickers and punters in the state during the Valiants’ state championship run.

Henderson told the crowd in attendance about Miller’s transformation from someone that never kicked a football when he arrived at Valwood to a Division II athlete at West Georgia. 

“I didn’t know I was gonna kick my eighth grade year,” Miller said. “They asked me to kick so I just came out here and said, ‘OK, let’s work at this, I feel I can go somewhere with this,’ and eventually…I didn’t think I’d be sitting here today. 

“Moving forward there’s a lot of things to hope for and a lot of things will happen. The Lord, God is going to take care of me and I’ll just work, do what I’m supposed to do and be where I’m supposed to be and good things will happen.”

In addition to Valwood’s football signings, the Valiants also had a baseball signing as JM McRae signed with Truett McConnell University to join the Bears next season.

McRae, a senior infielder, figures to help the Valiants bounce back from a 6-18 campaign last season before joining the Bears and coach Mike Croley. McRae highlighted the campus and baseball development programs as reasons behind his decision and hopes to thrive upon his arrival.

“I went to visit a few schools before I went there and I was just trying to feel out where I wanted to go,” McRae said. “But when I went to Truett McConnell, obviously I fell in love with it. I like Coach Croley, I like the university, I like their development programs for baseball and I just feel like they are gonna get me a lot better when I go up there. I’m excited about going up there and I’m hoping to make a big impact pretty early.”

A two-sport athlete, Boone signed on with Reinhardt University where he will play baseball and football for the Eagles. 

After joining the Valiants’ baseball team from Lowndes mid-season, Boone immediately made an impact under coach Robert Shipman, who praised Boone for his work on the field and his academics in the classroom.

“On behalf of baseball, Jaharie came to us last year, somewhere in the middle of the season and I just want to be a witness, testifying to his hard work, his (diligence) and his desire to excel,” Shipman said. “Jaharie’s a two-sport athlete, plays football so during the fall, he finished his varsity football games and the very next morning, he’d go out to these colleges to be evaluated in his baseball skills. 

“Due to his academic prowess––a lot don’t know this but he’s as smart as a whip––he had at least half a dozen, if not more institutions that he could’ve chosen not just for baseball, but academics. The amount of work that he has put in and the example he has set as a Valwood student is second to none.”

Boone beamed when asked about his decision to sign with Reinhardt, citing the proximity to family, the welcoming atmosphere and what the school has to offer collectively as an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“As a school itself, it was a very beautiful school,” Boone said. “A lot of buildings still coming, the coaches were diehard football and knew what they were talking about and they just brought me in as family and just…the overall visit was just so nice and the people there felt so homely, like I was still home. 

“From the financial and academic standpoint, they really offered me well so it was hard to turn that down. To have the ability to play both sports that I love––some schools are normally one or the other––was just a dream come true.”