For Hahnville’s Jarian Shelby and Destrehan’s Ryley Boyne and Will Bryant, National Signing Day was the culmination of a dream.
Each of the student-athletes put pen to paper, making official their status as future collegiate athletes. Shelby signed with Ohio University and Bryant Nicholls State, each to join those respective football programs; Boyne signed with Southeastern Louisiana where she will continue her volleyball career.
Shelby, a three-year starter and standout offensive tackle for the Tigers, will head up north to play in a cold climate – the kind of weather that makes an athletic, powerful lineman particularly valuable.
“I watched my brother sign to play college football, and from that point this was kind of the next step for me,” Shelby said. “It’s far from home, different surroundings … but the people, the coaches, I think this will be a great experience for me. I really believe they can help me get to that next level of my career I want to be at.”
He said he felt a connection with the coaches there, and was also drawn in by the close-knit community in Athens County.
“Those people stick together. Everyone’s around … you’re always gonna see a teammate, a fan, when you’re out and about. It’s a great town,” he said.
Hahnville head football coach Daniel Luquet said Shelby is the epitome of a Tiger and leaves a strong example for young players in the program.
“All we’ve gone through with Hurricane Ida, he and his family took in teammates who didn’t have a place to go,” Luquet said. “His work ethic is unmatched and his knowledge of the game is top-notch … he made our outside game pretty special, being able to get out and block on the perimeter. I know that’s one of the things the coaches at Ohio loved about him.”
Bryant was a three-year starter as well, a clutch kicker for the Wildcats who played in 13 postseason games during his run with the Wildcats.
“I’ve been playing football since I was five years old,” Bryant said. “I’ve always envisioned this day in my future – it’s what I’ve worked toward. I’ve always dreamed of playing college football, so for this to finally happen, it’s an awesome feeling.”
Bryant did not have to pause and think when recounting his favorite kick.
“West Monroe,” he fired back at the question, the game-winning kick that propelled Destrehan past the Rebels in the state quarterfinals in Bryant’s sophomore season of 2019.
Nicholls State, he said, was the first school that stepped up their interest in him, and his visit to the school cemented the feeling as mutual.
“From the get go, anytime I visited their facility, they’re the nicest people. They meet every need,” Bryant said. “Academics, sports, if you go to Nicholls you’re covered. I was drawn there the most.”
DHS head football coach Marcus Scott said having a kicker like Bryant allowed he and his staff to rest a bit easier.
“He’s kicked in 13 playoff games … Will’s been a constant for this program,” Scott said. “When you kick in as many big games as he did, that’s huge. To lose the that kind of production is certainly going to be a challenge for us … I’m looking forward to seeing him go up there and do things to help their program up in Thibodaux.”
Boyne’s run at Destrehan saw her emerge as a starter in her freshman year and, ultimately, one of Louisiana’s most fearsome hitters. Boyne finished with more than 1,500 career kills.
“It feels really good … it’s been a long road, but I’m so glad to finally have it finalized,” Boyne said.
SLU’s proximity to home was a major draw for her – “having my parents be able to come watch me more there than anywhere else,” she said – and she said the campus and coaching staff were also high on the list.
As for what SLU liked about her game, that offensive ability topped the list.
“My hitting power,” she said. “I think they liked my consistency throughout a match.”
She said she began thinking about the chance to play at the college level in her eighth-grade year, but didn’t truly begin to grasp that it could be possible until her sophomore season.
“That’s when I started reaching out to coaches and they’d reach back,” she said. “So, I really started to look into it then.”
Destrehan volleyball coach Miranda Kelley said as great as Boyne was on the court, she was as impactful of a leader off of it.
“I know she’s going to do wonderful things in college,” Kelley said. “She motivated the girls, brought them all together … she was the one who would challenge other players to raise their play. She’s an incredible hitter … we’ll definitely miss her, but she left an impact on our underclassmen, and they’ll have the tools she gave them next season.”
This was the start of the spring signing period and other signings will follow. Both Luquet and Scott noted other potential signings are in the works. Scott said six Wildcats – Steven Walker, Calvin Bullock, Patrick LeBranch, Dontreal Wilright, Kerry Wilson and Josh Robinson – were in line to potentially sign on Signing Day, but are still undecided on their destination and elected to take more time to weigh options.
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