Last year, it was the '“Super Seven” senior football class. This year, it’s the “Terrific Twosome.”
Sto-Rox student-athletes on Friday got a chance to see two of their peers be recognized after performing on the football field and in the classroom. Amare Harper and Eric McGuire officially announced where they will be playing football - and studying - for the next four years. Harper will attend Slippery Rock University in Slipper Rock, Pennsylvania, continuing a recent trend of Sto-Rox student-athletes trading Viking green for Slippery Rock green. McGuire will metriculate at West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia.
“I appreciate everyone who’s been here every step of the day,” said Harper shortly before the signing the paperwork that will take him to Slippery Rock. “I want to thank my mom and dad, all my coaches, from little league all the way up until now.”
“I want to thank everyone who supported me, my family, for helping me do a lot of things, all the coaches that helped me get through a lot of things,” said McGuire. “It’s a blessing for me to accomplish something like this, and it’s not going to stop from here.”
Family members, friends, and teammates gathered with district staff in the Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium at the end of the school day to celebrate Harper and McGuire’s scholarship-winning efforts. They heard from former head coach Marvin Mills, who coached Harper and McGuire the last two seasons before moving on, and they heard from Athletic Director Ron Butschle.
“If you aspire to play in college,” said Mills pridefully, “then just look at these young men.”
“It takes more than just great ability to be sitting up at this table,” added Butschle, himself a former Sto-Rox football coach. “It takes a great commitment to your academics, and great commitment to your character.”
“Coaches want to know, what kind of a person you are. Are you a hard worker? Are you a leader? Are you somebody who takes his time and is productive by working toward being better? Not just a better football player, but a better human being.”
Butschle referenced student athletes, including top-level college football players, that Sto-Rox has produced over the years. He said it’s a legacy that Harper and McGuire’s teammates must strive to carry on.
“Those are things you young guys need to understand and work towards,” he said. “Your journey is just getting going. These guys have achieved success - including football scholarships - because of all those things.”