National Signing Day was busy on Wednesday for Buchholz and Gainesville High athletes who signed on the dotted line.

At Buchholz, four Bobcats football players signed their national letters of intent.

Tight end Tony Sanchez (6’3, 225) signed with North Carolina A&T and outside linebacker RJ Livingston inked with Minot State (ND). They were joined by Bobcats teammates middle linebacker Jackson Islam, who signed with St. Thomas, and cornerback Taylor Carter, who signed with Tuskegee University.

“Tony transferred in and immediately injected a lot of athleticism into our offense,” Buchholz coach Mark Whittemore said. “He’s six-foot-three, 225 pounds and an outstanding ball catcher.”

Playing only his senior year for Buchholz, Sanchez caught 16 passes for 203 yards in 2024.

“They (North Carolina A&T) have an amazing coach staff,” Sanchez said. “A brand new coaching staff is going on to try and turn around the program, and their coach has kept on me even through their struggles.”

Livingston (6′, 190) helped lead a stout Buchholz defense as one of the leading tacklers in the fall.

“They (Minot) have really good academic programs for what I want to be in later in life,” Livingston said. “The community is really inviting for the football team as well.”

Livingston had three interceptions, 62 tackles, and five tackles for a loss in 2024.

“RJ is a four-year letterman and permanent team captain,” Whittemore said. “He led our team in picks from the linebacker position but also played some DB as well. He is a Bobcat through and through.”

Islam (6’3, 230), who will be a hybrid edge at the next level, finished fourth on the Bobcats in tackles (70) in 2024. He will be playing at St. Thomas University in Miami.

“Jackson was a transfer who was here as a freshman and came back as a senior,” Whittemore said. “He’s a phenomenal player as a Mike linebacker who transferred in from Williston. He is a huge kid and was a wonderful addition to our defense this year.”

The fourth and final Bobcat to sign to play college football is Taylor Carter (6’3, 160), who is heading to Tuskegee University in Alabama.

“Taylor was also a four-year Bobcat,” Whittemore said. “He started for us at corner in two straight Final Four years and gave us a lot of length at the boundary corner. I can’t wait to see what he can accomplish at Tuskegee.”

GHS weightlifter, football player sign

At Gainesville High, two Hurricanes athletes signed — one for football and one for weightlifting.

Linebacker Jalen Johnson signed with Monmouth College in Illinois. Johnson was second on the Hurricanes in tackles last fall as Gainesville went 5-5 and just missed the postseason.

“The coaches at Monmouth were really like family to me,” Johnson said. “I hope to be there sometime this summer.”

Johnson chose Monmouth over Middle Tennessee and Edward Waters in Jacksonville.

Nick Tisher played fullback and middle linebacker for Ian Scott’s Hurricanes. But he signed with Warner University in Lake Wales as a weightlifter. Tisher is the first GHS male lifter to get a college scholarship.

“Being close to home and Gainesville was a major reason to go to Warner,” Tisher said. “Also, air conditioning for weightlifting. Football can get a little warm out there.”

Newberry’s Logan McCloud signs with Wofford College

All Area linebacker Logan McCloud (6,2, 215) signed on Tuesday with the Wofford Terriers, a Division-I school in South Carolina.

McCloud, who pledged to Wofford during a commitment ceremony in July, had 110 tackles and 11 tackles for a loss this season for the Panthers (10-3), who won their first district title since 2007 and advanced to the Class 2A-Region 2 Final. He had a pick-6 in the district championship win against Bradford (Starke) and a 41-yard touchdown catch in what proved to be the game-winner against the Tornadoes.

Newberry football coach Ed Johnson called him the “unquestioned leader of the defense this season.”

“Logan has been a leader in this program for four years,” Johnson said. “We have had the pleasure of watching him grow and develop during the process. He always made big plays on Friday nights because that’s what he demands of himself in practice during the week.”