Pair of Buffalo Gap athletes make college commitments official
SWOOPE — Micah Canterbury and Bennett Bowers have known one another since they were in elementary school, playing AAU and youth baseball together. In middle school the two of them began talking about how cool it would be if both signed to play in college when they were high school seniors.
"Our dream came true," said Bowers, who officially committed to play basketball at Milligan University in Tennessee on Friday. Canterbury sat on the same stage as Bowers Friday, signing to play baseball at Fairmont State, in the Buffalo Gap High School auditorium in front of teammates, coaches, family and classmates.
Buffalo Gap principal Ian Marshall said at the start of the ceremony Friday that he has been impressed with both Canterbury and Bowers from the time they entered the school as freshmen.
"So it's very exciting for us to get together and celebrate them," Marshall said.
Bowers said he's been working for a lot of years to reach the goal of playing in college.
"It's been my childhood dream since I was 7, 8 years old," Bowers said. "To be up here with Micah and my family and my girlfriend and everybody who supported me through the years is just really nice."
Milligan is an NAIA school playing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference.
"When I got down there I loved the campus, the coaches," Bower said. "They're all for the right things. They care about the players, not just for their skills but they also develop them as human beings."
The head basketball coach at Milligan, Bill Robinson, made the nearly four-hour trip from Milligan to Swoope Friday for the signing.
"There's no words to describe it, it's just surreal," Bowers said when asked what it meant for his future college coach to make that trip.
Bowers wants to focus on his basic athletic skills this summer as he prepares for the college game. He wants to get faster and stronger before heading off to Tennessee.
Canterbury had dreamed of playing college baseball with his older brother, Noah. The two will be teammates next year at West Virginia's Fairmont State University. Noah Canterbury is a sophomore this spring at the NCAA Division II school while Micah will be a freshman in the fall.
In addition to being able to play with his brother, the younger Canterbury also likes that the assistant coach, David Carpenter, is a former college catcher who, after converting to pitcher, spent 14 years playing professionally, including six seasons in Major League Baseball. Canterbury feels like working with Carpenter will help his development.
"I think it will be easier for me because my brother is already there," Canterbury said of fitting in as a freshman. "And I've already been talking with the guys who will be coming in with me too."
Canterbury will probably see a lot of time at catcher, although he can play the corner infield spots and, if needed, pitch.
Sitting on stage Friday afternoon with his parents, his high school coaches and teammates in the audience, meant a lot to Canterbury.
"It's been a dream of mine ever since I was little to play in college," he said. "To see all the hours and hours and hours of lifting, practicing, hitting, throwing, all that to pay off means a lot.
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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Pair of Buffalo Gap athletes make college commitments official
