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Varsity 541 NEWS NOW Emergency services, Aug. 25 ... Gold Hill adopts Bee City USA ... Cuckoo's Nest, Pebblestone and Plaisance earn Best of Show at Oregon Wine Competition ... Emergency services, Aug. 25 ... Gold Hill adopts Bee City USA ... Cuckoo's Nest, Pebblestone and Plaisance earn Best of Show at Oregon Wine Competition ... SIGNING DAY Area athletes set college paths Crater contingent, Ashland's Pruitt highlight commitments Comment By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry Posted Feb. 3, 2016 at 8:34 PM Updated Feb 3, 2016 at 8:38 PM By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry Posted Feb. 3, 2016 at 8:34 PM Updated Feb 3, 2016 at 8:38 PM » Social News The table and chairs were set up and ready to go Wednesday at Crater High School for a handful of hopefuls excited to take the next step in their athletic pursuits during the opening day for national letters of intent to be signed. For Crater all-state quarterback Matt Struck, however, his much-publicized recruitment didn’t end as he had planned after a stellar season left him with some Division I interest but still without a final destination on Wednesday. “It’s been one of my dreams to sit at that table and sign a letter of intent,” Struck admitted Wednesday, “but that’s also a very small thing in a whole big process. Going somewhere you want to be outweighs just sitting at a table and signing to show you’re going to college. I really wanted to sit there with my friends today when we’re all starting a new path but I didn’t want to make a decision to throw myself into somewhere that I ultimately didn’t want to be.” While Struck mulls a plan to play in junior college for a season or two before hopefully transferring to his dream location somewhere in the southern region, he was proud to see several of his record-setting teammates announce their landing spot during a ceremony at the high school. “They all worked really hard and I’m happy for them,” said Struck. Crater’s Cavin Gillispie and Garrett Dey each committed to South Dakota Mines, Marcus Carter and Cedric Rios to Southern Oregon University and Michael Piazzini to the College of Idaho. Also committing to colleges from the local area were Ashland’s Michael Pruitt (Western Oregon football), Eagle Point’s Jordan Castro (College of the Siskiyous football) and South Medford’s Josue Reyes (SOU men’s soccer). The only Division I recruit with ties to the area was former South Medford standout Brady Breeze, who received an offer from the University of Oregon after his sophomore season and stuck with it Wednesday after two seasons at Central Catholic. Gillispie was a first-team all-state selection at the Class 5A level as a running back and linebacker and the Midwestern League MVP, while Carter was a second-team offensive lineman and Pruitt an honorable mention tight end. Castro combined for 1,192 yards of total offense and 13 total touchdowns as a running back and receiver for Eagle Point. “It’s a good opportunity and they have a good vision for him,” Ashland head coach Charlie Hall said of the 6-foot, 200-pound Pruitt. Pruitt helped lead Ashland to a state runner-up showing this past fall and had eight tackles and one sack to go with four catches for 44 yards in the 45-28 championship loss to Summit. Hall said Western Oregon plans on starting off Pruitt, who primarily played close to the line of scrimmage in Ashland, in the secondary at safety or nickel back to take advantage of his speed and athleticism. Should he put on more size, there’s more chance Pruitt could move closer to the football. Gillispie ran for 1,384 yards and 20 touchdowns on 180 carries this past season and was a key cog at linebacker for a Crater team that went a school-record 11-1, with a semifinal loss to Summit as the lone blemish. Dey hauled in 37 passes for 774 yards and five TDs. Both join a South Dakota program that will be moving into the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2016 and went 6-5 overall and 2-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play last year. “With Cavin and Garrett getting scholarship opportunities at South Dakota Mines, that’s a really good thing,” said Crater head coach John Beck. “They’re going into the toughest Division II conference in the nation and they get to go to a great school and have their school paid for. It’s a neat deal but it’s due to their hard work and dedication by them and their parents.” As for Struck not yet striking a deal on Wednesday, Beck said that he fully supports his player’s decision to follow his heart through the junior college route. Hall also noted that junior college was likely the plan for standout receiver Shashi Penn, who was an honorable mention all-state selection. “That’s the way a lot of kids go,” said Beck. “I think that’s a decision he and his mom came to and I support whatever decision that they make.” “I think he felt like he could play at the highest level and he wasn’t going to settle for playing elsewhere,” added Beck. “Even though he could get college paid for he wanted to show he could compete at the Division I level. It’s going to be interesting to see what junior college program he picks.” Struck completed 198 of 343 passes for 3,027 yards, 22 TDs and nine interceptions during his senior campaign, and his strong arm, 6-3, 220-pound frame and ability to operate a high-octane offense drew scholarship offers from the likes of Western Oregon, Lindenwood University and Central Washington. Struck also kept in steady contact with Oregon State and a few other Division I programs up until recently but nothing panned out as he had hoped at this time. “It was tough decision,” said Struck. “I had a few scholarships I could’ve taken and a couple of them were full so it was hard to turn it down but I had to think about future and if I wanted to do what I want to do I just have to take a harder path to where I wanted to go.” “I can just go to junior college for a year or two and get my (prerequisite classes) done and then try to transfer somewhere,” he added. “It’s hard to transfer from Division II to Division I or even Division I to Division I.” Struck said he has already begun looking into a handful of junior colleges, hoping to find one that suits his skillset and allows him to grow under the tutelage of a top-notch coaching staff. After that, he simply hopes to make his mark and open new doors of opportunity. “I have faith in myself that options will come up again,” he said. “It’s a really big gamble but I have faith I can just get into somewhere where I can follow my dream.” Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Follow @@Kris_Henry Posted Feb. 3, 2016 at 8:34 PM Updated Feb 3, 2016 at 8:38 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction Schedules & Events --> Recent Scores --> Prep Notebook Kris Henry Challengers make it back on top in softball Winning the Southern Cascade League title seemed like a pretty bold goal this spring considering the recent history of the Cascade Christian... 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