By Sara Beth Williams–
Mesa Verde High School on Friday celebrated two senior athletes as they signed letters of intent and accepted college level athletic positions in football and softball.
During lunch hour on May 19, Mesa Verde’s varsity girls’ softball coach and head varsity football coach, along with family members, friends, other community members and students, all gathered in support of varsity football player Joseph Miller, and varsity girls’ softball player Carolina Lewis as they signed their letters of intent. The two senior athletes were honored with flowers and music to celebrate their “signing day” and had the opportunity to take photos against a backdrop poster of the school’s Mavericks logo.
Coach Leonard Casillas said Miller played positions of linebacker and long snapper and will be attending Southwest Minnesota State University where he’ll earn an academic scholarship and financial aid. Southwest Minnesota State is an NCAA Division II school located in Marshall, Minnesota, and competes in the 13-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Miller will join at least two other student athletes from California who signed to play with the Mustangs in early February, according to an SMSU athletics news update online.
Coach Christa Green said Lewis accepted a position on the girls’ softball team at Folsom Lake Junior College and will begin training this summer. This year, the Folsom Lake Falcons girls’ softball team advanced to the CCCAA Softball State Championship round for the first time. Green said Lewis has been playing softball since she was 10 and played for the high school’s softball team for three years.
“It’s a great thing for students coming out of Mesa,” Green said, referencing the students’ acceptance into college-level athletics. Green also added that the signing day turned out to be a “fantastic event.”
“I love to see our school support our student athletes by doing events like this,” Casillas said, adding that it shows student athletes that they don’t have to attend a big school to get into a college football or other athletic program.
