National signing day recap: star athletes from around the Texas Panhandle sign letters of intent

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Wednesday was National Signing Day for high school athletes, and numerous local athletes signed to compete at the next level.

If you know a Texas Panhandle athlete who signed on Wednesday and is not included in this article, send an email to sports@newschannel10.com, and we will add them.

Three players from the Tascosa Rebel football team signed to play at the collegiate level on Wednesday.

Derrion Howard, a star running back for the Rebels, is signed with Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

A true comeback story for Howard, who was hospitalized with temporary paralysis at the end of the season after an injury suffered on the football field, and now he is headed to play college football.

“I’m beyond blessed,” Howard said. “About two months ago, I was in a hospital paralyzed, not able to walk, being told I wasn’t gonna be able to play again, so this means everything to me.”

Howard also said that being a part of the Tascosa Rebels taught him a lot of things that he can take with him to the next level.

“What I learned here being at Tascosa was that you don’t give up until the last second of the game. They taught me that it’s a process to get better. You don’t just get better overnight, you’ve got to work hard for it, and you don’t get your stuff handed to you.”

Boston Crum, the 6′3″ offensive lineman will join the Cisco College Wranglers football team.

Crum says he liked everything about the Wranglers on and off the field.

“I just love their determination and their grittiness,” Crum said. “They play rough football and they’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

Andrew Nick, who starred on the defensive side of the ball, will join head coach Kelley Lee and the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds.

Three all-district players from Bushland Falcon football signed their National Letters of Intent (NLI’s) on Wednesday.

Purcell and Humphrey staying teammates as they both are headed to Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Purcell, an all-district running back says getting to the next level is a dream come true.

“I’ve worked for this all my life,” Purcell said. “Ever since I was 3 or 4 years old, I’ve been playing flag football and tackle football. It just means everything to me.”

Humphrey, who earned all-district honors on the offensive line, echoed the feelings of his teammate and says going to play in college is something that is family-oriented.

“Both my brothers went and played collegiate sports, and just to follow in their footsteps, playing with my brothers, it makes some of the best memories,” Humphrey said.

Reynolds, who will stay a Falcon at Friends University battled through some injures in his career, but the all-district linebacker says he was determined to get to the next level no matter what.

“It means a lot to me, especially dealing with a lot of injury in the past. I’ve had a lot of hard work, a lot of recovery, and just to be able to get back and play my final two years and succeed, my last two years of varsity football have been great to me,” Reynolds said.

At Amarillo High, five different athletes signed in four different sports.

Berkley Houchin a competitive dancer and Sandie cheerleader, signed to dance at Arizona.

“This moment is something that I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl,” Houchin said. “It’s so incredibly amazing to me that I’m going DI.”

Amarillo High’s star outside hitter Sienna Cavalier signed to play volleyball at Lubbock Christian.

“I went to practice with them, and they were very welcoming,” Cavalier said. “Such, like, a home feeling and they treated me like family.”

After moving here from the San Antonio area midway through his high school career, track runner Josh Hierholzer signed to run at West Texas A&M’s prestigious program.

“At first, I really wasn’t thinking WT, until we moved up here,” Hierholzer said. “I went on a visit to just see the campus, and it was just amazing.”

Nash Dunnam, son of Amarillo High head football coach Chad Dunnam, signed to continue his football career, also at WT.

“This is, like, one of the days I’ve been looking forward to the most, at all,” Dunnam said after signing. “It’s a dream come true. I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life. It’s amazing.”

Amarillo High’s all-time single-season receiving yardage recordholder Bryce Brown signed to play at Colorado Mesa.

“It’s really a life decision right here,” Brown said. “It was a big choice, and then it’s really amazing to know how many supporters you have in this amazing program.”

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