Perry Panthers make it clear where they want to go

mbrown@sunmulti.com

As the fog rolled in on the morning of high school and

college football’s National Signing Day, four members of the Perry Panther

senior class made their decisions official Wednesday. These stalwarts of a

program that made the state playoffs three years in a row will take what they

learned under head coach Stacey Harden to points all over the country.

Linebacker Marquez Thomas is making the furthest ride out to

North Dakota State College of Science. Safety A.J. Riley is joining others in

the area as new members of the Coffeyville College program in Kansas. Tackle

Joe Rucker is staying in state to play at Georgia Military College, and

quarterback Deonte Soloman will be a part of a new team growing at West Georgia

Technical College in Carrollton.

“I’m glad to see it happen for these kids,” said Harden.

“They’ve worked hard for this opportunity to play more football. Couldn’t ask

for better kids for this to happen to. We’re going to miss them.”

Thomas, during his senior season, professed that he is a fan

of Ray Lewis, the Baltimore Ravens linebacker who completed his long career

with his second Super Bowl championship on Sunday.

“I liked the way he had his team all pumped up ready to

play,” said Thomas, who is ready to take over the mantle of a fiery linebacker

from whom teammates can draw inspiration.

In looking for a place to take his skills, Thomas said he

was looking for a place where he could grow and become a man. As of Wednesday,

he had not visited the campus located in Wahpeton, N.D., but said the coaches

have been in contact with him since his junior season.

“I never really paid attention to it until this year,” said

Thomas. “They have a good program, but I like the education, and the coaches

are like a family. I think I’ll fit up there. I’m going to study (physical)

education, make sure I get everything done and move on to my future, try to be

a coach one day.”

Rucker played his junior and senior years on the Perry

offensive line after transferring from Central Fellowship. He also plans on

studying physical education, and his hope is that two years at Georgia Military

will lead to an opportunity to play at the four-year level.

“Play big-time football,” said Rucker. “Right now, anybody.

Georgia. Florida. Hopefully I can accomplish that by going to GMC.”

Rucker was part of a Perry line with both considerable size

and skill. His teammates include a gigantic center in Matthew Long and a

versatile guard in Sean Swan.

“My buddy Matt, he’s right there with me (in size),” he

said. “He helped me out a lot through school and the recruiting process. He

knew more about it than I did. Playing with these guys, I’m going to miss it.

It’s going to be a good experience next year for them coming up and a good

experience for me moving on.

“This is the third high school I’ve been (he was a freshman

at Peach County). These are the best coaches I’ve ever been around. They

actually care about you here at Perry High School.”

When Harden arrived three years ago, he put a sophomore,

Soloman, in charge of the offense as his starting quarterback. The coach didn’t

ask Soloman to set school passing records, but to guide the offense through

three seasons of rigorous region competition.

Now, Soloman looks to further develop his skills at West

Georgia Technical College, whose administrators announced the addition of a

football program for the NJCAA Division I level in December. That will make

WGTC only the second other two-year college team in the state along with GMC.

The Golden Knights’ first season will be in 2014. Home games

will be played in Heard County (Franklin).

Soloman said he likes the coaching staff assembled there –

led by former college player and NFL draftee Walter Dunson and the strict

policy they hold on academics. He plans to study criminal justice.

“They’ll run a spread offense. That’s what I like,” said

Soloman. “Throw the ball around a little bit, read option stuff. If I do well,

I’ll try to find (a four-year school) to go, a big college.”

As for being a Perry Panther, Soloman said he most enjoyed

being with his team.

“It’s a nice team to play with,” said Soloman, whose also

had big games in basketball and baseball. “They treat you like family here.

“It was tough (being named staring quarterback as a

sophomore), but I figured I could step in and do something. I went to a couple

of camps last summer, and coach Harden’s been helping me out.”

As for further development, Soloman said he needs to learn

how to read defenses better and work on decisions and when to throw the football.

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