KC signing day news and notes

As in the case in most years, Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State loaded up with prospects from the Kansas City area. Headlining the list Class 4 Defensive Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id="96260" first="Cody" last="Simoncic"] from Smithville, as well as the Suburban Conference Blue Division defensive player of the year. He held offers from about every school in the MIAA.   Of the eight signees from the area, all eight came from different schools. Fort Osage LB [player_tooltip player_id="96258" first="David" last="Jacquez"] was the Suburban Conference White Division defensive player of the year. Also coming from Independence is DB Patrick Martin from Truman, while a fourth defensive player is [player_tooltip player_id="249638" first="Will" last="Bushman"], a LB/S from Park Hill who was a Class 6 all-state pick this year. The Bearcats added three offensive lineman: three-year starters Zach Sherwood (Staley) and [player_tooltip player_id="177937" first="Trevor" last="Taylor"] (Lee’s Summit North) and two-year starter [player_tooltip player_id="271715" first="Preston" last="Mehl"] (Blue Springs). Another addition is WR Jordan Alexander from Richmond, whose brother, Travon, is a wide receiver for the Bearcats. Alexander and Bushman are both all-state track athletes, while Taylor is a state qualifier in wrestling. <strong>Eagles trio joins S&T</strong> Liberty North reached the Class 6 title game this year and three players on that deep run will play together at Division II Missouri S&T. [player_tooltip player_id="172302" first="Justis" last="Braden"] was an all-conference, all-district and all-state tight end after hauling in 40 catches for 687 yards and five touchdowns for the Eagles after playing both TE/DE in 2020. LS Graham Carter was Liberty North’s special teams player of the year. CB [player_tooltip player_id="96763" first="Matthew" last="Hutson"] had an interception in the state title game against CBC and was a two-time all-state defensive back. <strong>No Coach, No problem </strong> Despite not having a head coach, Central Missouri hauled in 29 total recruits, including 26 high school players on signing day. There was a heavy influence on Kansas City-area players. The Mules added DB [player_tooltip player_id="177916" first="Jack" last="Ardito"], LB [player_tooltip player_id="249643" first="Seontra" last="McIntosh"], DL [player_tooltip player_id="177914" first="Tyler" last="Shuey"] and DL Robbie Park from Ray-Pec, the 2020 Class 6 champions. Ardito and McIntosh were all-state picks Central Missouri added Grandview teammates DB Zay’Vion Hughes and LB Phillip Nelson. Other new Mules are Rockhurst RB [player_tooltip player_id="178003" first="Joe" last="Leggio"], Warrensburg DB [player_tooltip player_id="203571" first="Luke" last="Othic"] – 1,000-yard rusher at QB too — and Lincoln College Prep DB D’eaven Roerson. <strong>Transfer time</strong> One of the best players in the state of Missouri last year found a new home at Hutchison (Kansas) Community College. Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan was the No. 8-ranked player in Missouri last year according to ESPN and landed at Arkansas. Now, the former Lincoln College Prep star will go to the JUCO route in hopes of getting back to the D-I level. A linebacker in high school, he picked Arkansas over Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Washington State. - Former Park Hill South defensive back Dillon Thomas is going from Northern Illinois to Missouri State. - Joseph Webb is headed to Quincy from Northwest Missouri State. Webb prepped at Park Hill.   - Northwest Missouri State added a pair of local transfers on signing day in WR Dominic Myers and Tate Oglesby. Myers played at Fort Osage – like Jacquez – and is coming from Sierra (Calif.) College. Oglesby was playing basketball at Emporia State before deciding to return to Maryville, where he was the quarterback for the high school team. He was a three-time all-state pick. - MidAmerica Nazarene landed North Kansas City product Austin Hart, an OL from West Hills College in California.   <strong>NOTABLES</strong> - Missouri Southern added William Chrisman QB [player_tooltip player_id="103074" first="Dayne" last="Herl"], who will join his older brother, Dawson, on the Lions roster. - Washburn added Summit Christian Academy WR [player_tooltip player_id="103083" first="Lincoln" last="Sprouse"], who like Herl, will join his brother, Grayson at the Topeka, Kansas, school. - William Jewell added  WR [player_tooltip player_id="257818" first="Layne" last="Cavanah"] (Richmond), LB [player_tooltip player_id="96265" first="Austin" last="Gard"] (Lafayette County), Kaylin Merriweather (East Atchison) and OL Diego San Nicolas (Harrisonville). Merriweather was a three-time 8-man all-stater, while Gard (twice) and Cavanah (once) were 11-man all-state picks. - Grain Valley’s [player_tooltip player_id="254347" first="Gage" last="Forkner"] is headed to Quincy, joining previously known pledges in DB [player_tooltip player_id="99519" first="Ben" last="Eley"] (Lee’s Summit West), WR [player_tooltip player_id="178664" first="Donnell" last="Dye"] (Lee’s Summit North), LB [player_tooltip player_id="103106" first="Antonio" last="Jones"] (Lincoln College Prep). - Raytown’s Je’zhon Baker, a DB, picked Benedictine. He was weighing offers from the Ravens and Avila. Benedictine also added DB Peyton Jobe (Pleasant Hill), DE Matt Knehans (Lee’s Summit West) and LB [player_tooltip player_id="254480" first="Carson" last="Miller"] (Harrisonville) from the area. - Lincoln College Prep’s DE/OT Spencer Timmons signed with Missouri Valley, which hasn’t announced its full class yet. - Staley’s Garrett Warren will head to Iowa to play for Cornell College. - Belton’s OL Zach Masteller, Truman teammates Zane Anderson (QB) and Noah Whisenhunt (OL), Ray-Pec’s DB Ja’Quan Willis and Lee’s Summit North WR Nic Gori all inked with MidAmerica Nazarene. - Missouri Western added a pair of Lee’s Summit players in LB [player_tooltip player_id="249624" first="Chase" last="Hammond"] (Lee’s Summit West) and TE [player_tooltip player_id="177936" first="Michael" last="Haggerty"] (St. Michael the Archangel). Haggerty had an offer from FCS school Drake. - Baker added Grain Valley’s Tristin Pouncil, St. Pius X’s [player_tooltip player_id="254615" first="Shane" last="Dorian"], Lee’s Summit North’s Seth Simpson and Oak Park’s [player_tooltip player_id="178481" first="Jermaine" last="Harris"].