Four Northside Patriots athletes sign college scholarships

With spring sports still in full swing, Northside took some time away from play on Wednesday to celebrate several athletes taking the next step in their lives.

Northside’s Chantler Valero, Connor Willis, Chris Schinten and Bryce Jankiewicz signed college scholarships in a ceremony at Northside. Valero and Willis signed baseball scholarships, with Valero going to South Georgia State College and Willis set on East Georgia State College. Schinten signed a track scholarship to Augusta State, while Jankiewicz will play soccer at Point University.

“We love having these types of ceremonies, having these kids get the opportunity to play their sports at the next level,” Northside athletic director Morgan Ingram said. “We love being able to recognize them for those accomplishments.”

Northside head baseball coach Dee Miller offered a great deal of praise to his players as they secured a chance to play at the collegiate level.

“They’ve both been blessed with tremendous ability, a great work ethic and a lot of people around them to support them to help get them to this point,” Miller said. “We’re very excited for them.”

Valero first started for the Patriots’ varsity as a 10th grader and has started 76 games since that time. A center fielder for Northside, Valero has hit .227 with 17 hits and 7 RBIs in his senior season.

Miller lauded Valero’s arm, saying teams throughout the region respected his ability to throw runners out. Miller added that Valero does a great job patrolling the outfield gaps, using his speed to run down any would-be bloop hits.

“I’m really excited to get to South Georgia and be able to play for the Hawks and do big things there,” Valero said.

Willis has served as a starting pitcher and a closer at times for Northside this season. He’s pitched 32.2 innings for the Patriots, earning three wins and one save while posting a 1.93 ERA.

Miller said the coaches at East Georgia have been constantly contacting him about Willis, excited to get one of their newest players into the program. Willis said he was excited to settle in there, but he didn’t overlook taking in the moment of signing and celebrating the future.

“It’s a good feeling,” Willis said. “I loved being able to share it with one of my best friends, Chantler. With my family being able here, it’s a great feeling.”

Track coach Joe Sanders said Schinten has developed through his years at Northside, going from strictly being a long-distance runner to being capable at middle distance as well as pole vaulting. Sanders said those strides took discipline from the athlete who is one of his co-captains and someone he considered a real leader.

Schinten also acknowledged how special it was to share the stage with his classmates.

“It’s a great experience,” Schinten said. “I’ve known all these athletes. I played soccer with Bryce, and I had a bunch of classes with Chantler and Connor. All of them are just great athletes.”

Soccer coach Rafael Torres said Jankiewicz plays defender for the Patriots, a role that is thankless in terms of stats and attention. Nevertheless, the senior has put forth a consistent physical presence on the field, which has helped Northside match after match.

Jankiewicz said his favorite moments so far this season have been getting closer with his team, especially on the bus rides going to and back from the various matches.

When he considered the magnitude of Wednesday’s moment for all four athletes, Jankiewicz pointed out how the celebration made it evident how close everyone at the school really is.

“It shows the unity with all of us at Northside,” Jankiewicz said. “It’s really special to know we’ve made it.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Four Northside Patriots athletes sign college scholarships."