GMC Signing Day: Middletown’s Smith excited about new start at UC

“I knew that I put in the time and effort and they told me that they were going to honor my scholarship, so I didn’t stress too much,” Smith said Wednesday during the National Signing Day event hosted by the Greater Miami Conference football coaches at Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.

“Actually, it’s great. I dreamed of this day for my whole entire life. I knew this was the only way to get to college, so I put in the work, and it’s finally paid off.”

PHOTOS: Greg Lynch’s gallery from GMC Signing Day

The 16th annual GMC ceremony was a showcase for many of the top players in the conference. Colerain headlined the affair with more than a dozen signees.

“This is one of those decisions that changes your life entirely,” Middletown coach Lance Engleka said. “A few years from now when these guys look back at this, they can see how big it is. Not only for themselves, but for their parents as well.”

Smith was the lone representative for the Middies on Wednesday.

“Cole made himself a football player,” Engleka said. “Up to his sophomore year, he was still playing soccer and football. He made that commitment at the end of his sophomore year that he was going to be the best kicker that he could possibly be.

“He went to camps and just got better through effort and dedication. I told our kids that’s the ideals you want to shoot for. I really think that once he goes down to UC, they’re going to find out exactly what they’ve got. He is absolutely a next-level kicker.”

UC is coming off a 4-8 season, but Smith said Fickell has given the program a jolt of energy.

“It’s definitely a different atmosphere,” Smith said. “You can just tell that we are going to be successful in the next four, five years. I expect us to do great things.”

Six other Middletown players have committed to play collegiately. Nick Howard, Will Thomas and Marquise Petty are going to Georgetown (Ky.), while Gary Beatty, Cam Winding and Jaevan Wright are headed for Urbana.

“My first job is to coach the football team, but for those kids who want to play at the next level, that’s an equally important job,” Engleka said. “If a kid comes and says, ‘I’d like to play at the next level,’ we can find a fit for him. Just exposing kids to that and getting them that opportunity is huge.”

Hamilton had five players on display at the GMC event: Vince Sanford (Air Force Academy), Grant Fansler (Urbana), Conner Gleason (Urbana), Eric Jackson (Davenport) and Alex Little (Urbana).

“These dudes have been near and dear to me,” said HHS coach Chad Murphy, noting that Jacob Metzler has also committed to Hanover. “We’ve had kids here every year, but being with these guys the last four years and the turnaround that we’ve made, I’m very, very proud. These guys are going to be successful in whatever they do.”

Sanford, a wide receiver who missed the last four games of the 2016 season with a knee injury, is thrilled about his opportunity.

“It’s been surreal,” he said. “It’s a prestigious university with a lot of benefits going into the military and being able to serve your country and a great program … I think it’s just the place for me.”

Sanford suffered a torn MCL and meniscus against Lakota East in Week 6, underwent surgery and is still rehabilitating. He said the knee is at 65-70 percent strength.

Asked about his career plans through the Air Force, he replied, “I haven’t decided on what yet, but either way it goes, it’s going to be a good opportunity for me.”

Murphy said there’s no reason a healthy Sanford can’t be a solid player in the Mountain West Conference.

“He can do it. He will prosper in that environment,” Murphy said. “He’s not only getting a $400,000 education, but the leadership that he’ll come out of there with will be unbelievable. I love everything to do with the military. If he puts his time in there, he’ll be set for life.”

Fairfield coach Jason Krause talked about his five Signing Day representatives — Ethan Burch (Notre Dame College), Alex Kaminsky (Olivet Nazarene), Jerred McGuire (Davenport), Aaron McKenzie (West Virginia State) and James Mitchell (Urbana).

Krause also talked about one who wasn’t there — Josiah Scott enrolled early at Michigan State.

“This was a good class for us,” Krause said. “They came in as seventh-graders when I came in for my first year at Fairfield. They’ve been a huge part of the culture change of Fairfield football.

“Today is about the dedication they’ve made to their teams over the last however many years playing this awesome, wonderful sport, and using that to get some money toward their education. There might be some kids up here getting $10,000 a year. There might be others getting $40,000 a year. As I tell our kids, any bit helps.”

Lakota West’s signees included Zelwyn Robinson and Will Nguyen, who are going to Georgetown, along with Brian Qua (Grand Valley State) and Tony White (Pikeville).

“To battle through a tough year like we did, yet still have kids going on to play in college, it just shows that we still have some good kids that schools can trust,” West coach Larry Cox said. “I think you can say that about the entire conference. Colleges know they’re getting quality kids from the GMC.”

The 5-foot-8, 176-pound Robinson collected 96 points and 1,853 all-purpose yards last fall. Cox believes he can excel at Georgetown.

“Of course, in his competitive nature, he sees himself at a Top 5 school. And that’s OK,” Cox said. “But in the end, it’s about a fit, and he’s real happy with where he’s at.”

Nick Finley (Findlay), Bryce Hartwell (Cincinnati Christian), Xavier Martin (Mercyhurst) and Tyler Glenn (Limestone) topped Lakota East’s signing class. Silas Ingram is also headed to Thomas More.

Glenn, a bruising fullback, missed six games as a junior and three games as a senior after a 2015 knee injury. East coach Rick Haynes said he’s still not 100 percent.

“I don’t know what your time frame is when you tear your patellar tendon with your ACL. I’ve never read about any athlete that’s ever done that before,” Haynes said. “But if he’s 100 percent, he’s a BCS football player. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”

Limestone is an NCAA Division II school in Gaffney, S.C.

“I don’t know if they saw Tyler’s junior film and kind of heard about what had happened to him and they’re taking a chance on him, but good for them,” Haynes said. “They got a really good player.”