by Alicia Pascual
Photos by Greg Hammer and Denton ISD Communications
Guyer athletes Josiah Martin, Willie Goodacre, and Eli Bowen worked hard to sign for colleges on Dec. 20 such as the University of California , Syracuse University, and the University of Oklahoma.
One of the most important days for senior athletes took place at the auditorium, the signing day. The three football players were excited about the first big decision of many.
“I’m feeling good, it’s a lot, everybody is super excited, I’m excited, I’m ready to get going with the football,” Josiah Martins said.
Many people do not know all the hard work that the players do during their high school years, and it takes a lot of time to become one of the chosen players among all the great football players on the team.
“Willie started his high school football career playing defensive Line as a freshman. He moved over to offensive line the summer between his freshman and sophomore year. He started for us on the offensive line as a sophomore and never missed a snap the rest of his high school career. He started getting looks his sophomore year because of his size and athletic ability. His junior year was when the offers started rolling in,” Coach Gallegos said.
Willie Goodacre is a great example of hard work as a left tackle. He first loved Brigham Young University, but after his visit to Syracuse, he loved the staff and committed pretty quickly.
“Syracuse has a new staff now that Willie has visited with and likes as well. It will be fun to watch his development- he has only been playing offensive line for three years,” Coach Gallegos said.
Willie chose Syracuse for many reasons.
“It’s a place I can play, a place where I feel confident being around people. I think it’s the best choice for my future,” Goodacre said.
Next to sign, Eli Bowen, one of the cornerbacks on the Guyer football team, after choosing between a lot of good colleges will be join his brother Peyton at the University of Oklahoma.
“Eli burst onto the scene his sophomore year. He recorded 10 interceptions and several of those returned for touchdowns,” Coach Gallegos said.
Eli Bowen had a lot of options but his relationship with coach Valai at OU and his brother already playing there pushed him to commit to OU. Also, his family has been a huge support in this decision.
“I mean definitely my family. They played a big part, built by trust and their opinion,” Eli said.
Next to sign is Josiah Martins who has proven to be a great wide receiver during his high school career. He will be joining the California Golden Bears football team next season.
“Josiah is a great young man to be around. His recruiting was a joy to be a part of. He started getting interest his sophomore year and things really heated his junior year. He had over 30 division 1 P5 offers,” coach Gallegos said.
He was looking for a college that made him feel at home. He and his family are originally from the west coast, so when he found out about Cal, he fell in love with the coaches and the campus.
“During his recruitment journey, he was looking for the one place that felt like home and the place he could see himself playing early. He initially committed to Boston College, then later flipped to California,” coach Gallegos said.
Josiah has chosen this college because he feels like Cal is a fantastic school that will help him become somebody in the future. On signing day, he was really excited to become a part of the Golden Bears.
To be a good football player you need not only to know how to catch or throw a ball, but you have to know how to work as a team, be constant and intelligent to know what is best for the team and not for you alone, and that is what these three players have shown over the years.
“Go kill it!” coach Gallegos said.
