Signing Day: Palestine's Gage, Moffitt sign letters of intent to play collegiate football
May 9—Palestine Wildcats Jeremiah Moffitt and Quantae Gage signed their national letters of intent Friday to play collegiate football.
Moffitt will play football at Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. Gage signed to play football at McMurry University in Abilene. Gage was a member of the All-Area Elite Team defense and a second-team All-District honoree this past season.
Both players got to share the field with each other one last time this past season as they helped guide the Wildcats to a third consecutive playoff berth under head coach Lance Angel.
"We have been close since pewee football," Moffitt said. "We planned this day, so it's amazing that it got to happen."
Moffitt missed his junior year, but still gained interest from Waynesburg from his junior varsity tape.
"I had a few colleges interested in me, but I feel I made the right decision with Waynesburg," Moffitt said. "The coaches were loving and they felt like a second family. I talked to them everyday. They kept me focused."
Moffitt joins Dr. Cornelius Coleman who became Waynesburg University's Head Football Coach and Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Learning Experiences in December, 2021.
Dr. Coleman comes to Waynesburg following two years at NCAA Division I FCS member Duquesne, where he served as the Dukes' defensive line coach. This past season, Duquesne went 7-3 and won its final three games of the campaign.
The Dukes also made school history when they defeated Ohio University 28-26 on Sept. 11, giving the program its first win over a current NCAA Division I FBS opponent.
Similar to Moffitt, Gage chose McMurry based on the family-like atmosphere he felt when he visited the campus.
"They greeted me with open arms," Gage said. "I knew immediately it was the place for me. I put in a lot of hard work towards my craft and I'm happy it finally paid off. "
McMurry knabbed their second area athlete as Grapeland's Jason DeCluette signed with McMurry earlier this year.
They join a program led by Jordan Neal who finished his third year as head football coach last fall.
"I hope this pushes our younger athletes so they can get to that next level too," Gage said. "I hope we inspired them to strive to be better."
