DELAND — Marceles Carey had 2,172 total yards, 31 touchdowns and six interceptions as a senior on a DeLand football team that spent multiple weeks as the FHSAA’s No. 1 overall squad.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, those efforts paid off. Carey signed his letter of intent to play Division I FBS football at Bowling Green.
Family, friends and teammates packed the gym foyer at DeLand High School to watch Carey enter the next chapter of his football career. After a lengthy session of praise from those around him, he put ink to paper decked out in Falcons gear.
“I just want to go out there and just prove everybody wrong, make a point and do what I’m supposed to do,” Carey said. “And maybe go on to the NFL.”
“They’re getting leadership and a game changer. I like changing games.”
Carey’s recruitment was still open after the early signing period with offers from Conference USA’s Jacksonville State and a few FCS schools. It was then that Bulldogs coach Rick Darlington reached out to an old contact — Dewayne Alexander, Bowling Green’s tight ends coach — and sent him Carey’s tape.
“‘This guy’s fantastic. You think we can get him up for a visit?’” Alexander replied, according to Darlington.
The Falcons officially offered him on Dec. 7.
“When I got that phone call, I was at church,” Carey said. “It was at the church when I got that call, and I showed everyone. It’s just a coincidence that it was a blessing because I just came out of church. Having that phone call made me feel fulfilled, for real.”
Carey and his family traveled to Bowling Green, Ohio, to visit the Falcons’ campus and football facilities. Carey also had the pleasure of seeing snow for the first time.
“Everybody talks about how cold it’s going to be,” he said. “It was my first time seeing snow, and I went down there, I laid in it, and it felt great. It felt like home.”
Spruce Creek gymnast Jayla Hoeck signs with Kentucky
Jayla Hoeck thinks she was 4 years old when she started gymnastics, but she isn’t 100% sure. She truly can’t remember a time when it wasn’t part of her life.
And on Wednesday, she ensured it will continue to be.
The Spruce Creek senior signed with the University of Kentucky, taking her academic and athletic careers to the next level. She had announced her commitment to the Wildcats last month.
“After my three visits I’ve had, I realized that they showed family, they showed sportsmanship, and I saw a complete difference between the other schools I’ve been to,” Hoeck said. “I just love the environment and people.”
She also toured Northern Illinois and Pittsburgh.
UK came down to watch her practice in November, then hosted her in Lexington in mid-January.
Hoeck trains at Seaside Training Center in Port Orange. She is a Level 10, the highest in the USA Gymnastics Development Program and the final step before the Elite categorization. Her top events are beam and vault.
She qualified for the 2025 Nationals in Salt Lake City.
“My goal was to make it to nationals,” Hoeck said.
Now, she’ll stay on that stage by competing in the Southeastern Conference.
Volusia-Flagler area college signings
Carey and Hoeck are two members of a large group of local student-athletes who signed with colleges this week.
Here is a list of others provided by athletic directors. Athletes are listed alphabetically for their respective schools.
Flagler Palm Coast
Halifax
Mainland
Matanzas
New Smyrna Beach
Seabreeze
Spruce Creek
University
(Some of the following athletes signed prior to February’s window.)
Don’t see your signee listed? Please email their name, sport and future school to CVinel@usatodayco.com. This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Roundup: Volusia-Flagler college signings on National Signing Day
Reporting by Zach Allen and Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
