Soccertown's stars sign: Several locals are bound for the next level
May 16—Four local schools recently had boys soccer players sign with collegiate soccer programs.
Christian Heritage School's Marco Arostegui and Peter Pridgen are college bound after leading the Lions to the Class A Division II state championship. Dalton's Zeke Ortiz signed this week after helping lead the Catamounts to a seventh state title, and four Southeast Whitfield Raiders will play in college after winning two state championships in high school. Northwest Whitfield's Hayden Adams also signed recently after helping the Bruins to their first region title since 2016.
Southeast's Leo Barajas, Diego Castillo, Gerardo "Jerry" Favela and Angel Garcia all signed with collegiate programs at a joint ceremony at the school last week.
Barajas and Castillo will remain teammates in college at NCAA Division II Shorter University in Rome. Favela will play at Rhodes College, an NCAA Division III school in Memphis, Tennessee. Garcia, the 2022 Dalton Daily Citizen All-Area Player of the Year, will play at NCAA Division II North Georgia in Dahlonega.
Arostegui and Pridgen, the senior duo who helped propel the Lions to their first Georgia High School Association state title, signed in a dual ceremony at the school last week. Arostegui will join Castillo and Barajas at Shorter. Pridgen is bound for Division I Winthrop.
Ortiz scored two state titles in his Dalton career. He's headed to Southern Indiana, which is set to move to the NCAA Division I level.
Northwest Whitfield's Adams will play at Reinhardt University, an NAIA program in Waleska.
