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National Signing Day looked different at Eau Claire on Wednesday than it had in previous years.
Three Shamrocks football players saw dreams come true, and the rest, coach Ronnie Baker said, “saw the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
With Marquis Boyan inking with North Carolina A&T, MarQuise Jones with S.C. State and Jordan Stuckey signing with Atlanta’s Sports Preparatory Academy, half of the Shamrocks’ senior class is headed for college football.
Eau Claire quarterback Marquise Boyan signed with North Carolina A&T on Wednesday.
- Gerry Melendez /gmelendez@thestate.com
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“It was a great experience throughout the process, to have different college coaches coming through the school,” Baker said. “It lets the kids here know that if they work hard, there are rewards and opportunities and that football is an avenue to that.”
Boyan said he saw a path to college when he was a sophomore defensive back. Although Eau Claire had some tough times on the field in their career — the Shamrocks have won seven games in four years, and were winless in 2011 — this year’s signees knew they had even more to push for.
“It all comes down to having heart and having the will to win, there is always something to work harder for,” Boyan said.
For Jones, whose season was shortened by injury, being recruited was an exciting experience that he had looked forward to for three years. S.C. State maintained faith in his ability to recover from his injuries, and when Jones returned to the field late in the season, he aimed to reward them for their loyalty.
Baker, in his third year at Eau Claire, said he made getting his players into college his top priority.
“I felt it was really important to get the process started early for them, sending out films and uploading things to the internet when they were sophomores,” Baker said. “I just wanted to make sure they got as much exposure as possible.”
His approach worked as both Jones and Boyan received Division-I recruiting attention, but Baker is most proud that his players had the academic credentials to capitalize on their opportunities.
Now, the young men are glad to be examples for the Shamrocks of the next few years.
“We have a lot of potential and a lot of talent, and that can lead to success,” Boyan said, “they just have to go get it.”
Jones said, “I feel very excited about what we did today, and I think our teammates can do it, too.”
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