8 Fayetteville area high school athletes announce college decisions
Eight high school athletes in the Fayetteville area recently made decisions on where they will continue their academic and athletic careers.
Seventy-First had three athletes, including two football players, join the list of college signees in Cumberland County. Five other schools also had players make their choice ahead of upcoming graduations.
Here’s a look at those eight athletes set to play in college.
Mendez Lucas, Seventy-First
An all-conference defensive back for the Falcons, Lucas is set to play college football at North Carolina Wesleyan in Rocky Mount. In his senior season, Lucas became known as the player carrying around a Chucky doll. But his play on the field helped Seventy-First win the United 8 Conference championship and advance to the third round of the NCHSAA state playoffs. He had 67 tackles and five pass breakups.
FOOTBALL STARS: Best of 910Preps: Fayetteville's High School Football All-Stars
Richard Williams, Gray’s Creek
A three-time medalist at the state wrestling championships, Williams racked up more than 100 career wins during his time on the mat as a Bear. He’s signed with Mount Olive. Williams was Fayetteville’s top wrestler in the 132-pound division.
De’Montrious Ratliff, Seventy-First
A linebacker for the Falcons, Ratliff has committed to play college football at Winston-Salem State. In his senior season, Ratliff helped Seventy-First win the United 8 Conference championship and advance to the third round of the NCHSAA state playoffs. He had 89 tackles, including 23 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Jaylen Killens-McIntyre, Northwood Temple
A 6-foot-4 wing, Killens-McIntyre will continue his basketball career at Allen University in Columbia, S.C. In his final season with the Eagles, Killens-McIntyre averaged 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds for a conference-championship squad.
D’lano Blevins, Pine Forest
A hard-hitting defensive back for the Trojans, Blevins will be joining the track and field team at Barton College in Wilson. Known for his speed, Blevins helped the Pine Forest football team win its first outright league championship since 1988. He had 64 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions as a senior.
Danae Hawkins, Seventy-First
An all-conference guard for the Falcons, Hawkins will continue her basketball career at Meredith College in Raleigh. Hawkins helped Seventy-First win 20 games in a season for the first time since 2014. Hawkins averaged 7.0 points, 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 steals as a senior.
SIGNING DAY AT BRITT: Jack Britt held a signing ceremony for 10 of its athletes. Here’s what they had to say.
Corey Barr, South View
A two-way player for the South View football team, Barr will play at Methodist University. As a short-yardage running back, Barr scored four touchdowns and logged 193 yards on 39 carries. Defensively, he spent time as a linebacker and finished his final season with 10 tackles.
Trey Williams, Westover
The top 3-point shooter for the Wolverines, Williams will look to bring similar contributions to Sandhills Community College in Southern Pines. In his senior season, Williams made 40 percent of his long-range shot and finished the year with 49 treys. He averaged 10.3 points per game.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville area high school athletes announce college decisions
