WS Chronicle

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY 

THE CHRONICLE

Signing a letter of intent to play football at an institution of higher learning became a reality for many athletes from around the country this past Wednesday. Feb. 1 marked signing day where high school seniors from around the country decided where they will play football next season.

Jesiah Carlton of Reagan High and Qortisha “Squash” Glenn Jr. of Glenn High were two of those athletes.

Carlton was a versatile player for the Raiders last season as he played multiple positions on offense and defense.  On Wednesday he signed his letter of intent to play football for Wingate University.

Carlton has started on the varsity team for Reagan since he was a sophomore.  He played every snap at outside linebacker both sophomore and junior years.  As a senior, because of need, he played four different positions on defense and played three positions on offense.

Reagan varsity head coach Josh McGee says Carlton was a leader on the team and was the guy to get things done on the field.

“On the next level I expect him to do the same as he did here,” said McGee. “Wingate has essentially built their system around him as he was their Number One defensive recruit.  He is going to be a great teammate and he is going to be a great stu-dent.”

Jesiah’s mother, Mary Carlton, says she is very proud of her son because she is a single parent raising him alone.  She said she is also proud of him for staying out of trouble and being an asset to the communi-ty.

“I expect him to be a student first and an athlete second,” Mary Carlton contin-ued.  “I expect him to go to the Wingate community and conduct himself accord-ingly as he has here in Winston-Salem.”

Jesiah Carlton says he chose Wingate University because of the international business program the school provides.  He also said the coaches made him feel like home so it made him feel welcome.

“I just loved the campus and I felt like it would be a good fit for me,” said Jesiah.  “It made me feel good that I made a good impression on everyone that I have met and that my coach thinks so highly of me.”

Carlton said he will continue to work on his craft upon graduation from high school in preparation for the college level. He says he wants to hang out with friends before they all go their separate ways after they graduate.  Coming down the hill on game day is the biggest thing he will miss about playing in high school.

Qortisha “Squash” Glenn Jr. is not a high school senior.  He took an alternate route to achieve his scholarship to college. During his senior year at Glenn High he did not receive many offers from colleges, so to improve his stock he went to a prep school for a year and was able to receive an offer from North Carolina Central University.

Antwon Stevenson, Qortisha’s coach at Glenn, said Qortisha is a determined athlete that did not let any setback deter him from his ultimate goal of achieving a scholarship.

“It’s huge because he did not allow what other people said determine his future,” Stevenson said. “If you feel like God has said you are going to be here and no matter what no one says you keep that faith, you are going to get to where you want to go and Squash is a prime example of that.”

Qortisha Glenn Sr., Qortisha’s father, said he couldn’t be more proud of his son because of the hard work he put in.  Glenn Sr. went on to say he was happy his son was able to get the opportunity to go to the next level.  Sherry Glenn, Glenn Jr.’s grandmother, says she expects him to go to college and do what he needs to do.  She said she wants him to give back to the community and take care of business in the classroom.

Glenn Jr. said he chose Central because it is close to home and the great education he expects to receive while there.

“I want to be an academic All-American all four years while in college and that’s my main focus off the field,” Glenn Jr. said.  “It’s a great opportunity and I definitely want to go in and play because of the openings on the offensive line there.”

Glenn Jr. says upon graduation he says he would love to become a U.S. Marshall or become an entrepreneur.