Feb. 3 was the first day this year that high school seniors could formally sign letters of intent that commit them to attend a Div. I school. As some local colleges found out, again, oral promises mean nothing unless backed up by a signed on paper — and filed with the NCAA.

Wednesday’s commitments included nine East Chapel Hill Wildcats who formally announced their intentions at a ceremony on the ECH campus. Three-letter-man Carson McGuffin, Thomas Meyer, Greg Kawula and Kord Scharfenberg all will play lacrosse in college; Taylor Boone and Katie Walter signed to play women's soccer at Virginia Tech and Duke, respectively;

Catherine Weiser will play volleyball at Rollins, NCHSAA champion Carolyn Baskir will continue her career in both cross-country and track, and all-conference kicker Thomas Moore will be an invited walk-on for Carolina football. Moore’s teammate, all-conference punter Ethan Keyserling, previously announced his intention to play at Virgina Tech and did not attend Wednesday’s event.

Boone was named all-state by the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association two years running and was named the Piedmont Athletic Conference player of the year after last season. Walter was NCSCA all-state as a freshman and junior, and she was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association’s Scholar All-American team a month ago in Philadelphia.

“Both these student-athletes embody how hard work can pay off, ” East Chapel hill soccer coach Mark Kadlecik said.

Another area soccer player, Northwood’s Casey Norris, committed to play next year for Liberty University in Virginia.

North Carolina State was the biggest winner with local athletes, with three football players with experience in the Carolina-6 and Carolina-9 conferences signing letters for NCSU.

Robert Crisp, the former Chapel Hill High School five-star lineman who played his senior year at Raleigh Athens Drive, signed as expected with the Wolfpack.

N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien thinks well of Crisp, who gave an early commitment to NCSU is a packaged deal that included defensive back Peter Singer, his brother-by-adoption and another transfer from CHHS to Athens Drive.

“He has really good feet, ” O’Brien said about crisp. “He has great size and great reach. If you draw up a proto-type body, he has it for an offensive lineman.”

Asked by N.C. State blogger Tim Peeler about Singer, O’Brien said “We were very comfortable in signing him and glad he is part of the Wolfpack.”

Former Northwood running back Tobias Palmer also signed officially with N.C. State. He committed to NCSU after leading the Triangle area in rushing at Northwood. He finished his high school career with 4, 708 yards and 70 touchdowns rushing. He then rushed for 622 yards (7.2 ypc) at 10 TDs last fall in a post-grad year at Georgia Military Academy.

“I don't think there was any question that he was going to sign here, ” O’Brien said.

Northwood alum Terrance Hackney also signed Wednesday, committing to Mississippi. A 6-foot-7, 320-pound offensive lineman, Hackney played a post-grad year at Hargrave Military Academy.

Dylan Farrington, an All-American defensive back and receiver at Chapel Hill before a post-grad year at Hargrave, enrolled three weeks ago at Kent State. Playin last fall at cornerback, he led Hargrave in interceptions (6) last season and forced 3 fumbles.

Northwood’s Shannon Peppers, a 215-pound running back and linebacker, has announced he’s opted to spend a year at Hargrave before signing anywhere. A cousin of Julius Peppers, Shannon played at Smith Middle School and drew his first college offer from East Carolina after an outstanding freshman year at linebacker for Chapel Hill High School.

Cedar Ridge linebacker Jake Geary, who also played some fullback for his dad and Red Wolves head coach Lou Geary, stuck with his commitment to sign with East Carolina. There had been some speculation that the 6-3, 220-pound CRHS senior might switch Skip Holtz resigned from ECU to become the next head coach at South Florida.

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