Jermane Hayes signs with Southern Miss football
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Two-Minute Drill: Super Bowl 59 has several ties to state of Florida
From Florida high school and college players to the coin flipped before the game, the state of Florida has a big hand in Super Bowl 59.
The Southern Miss football social media graphic came with an appropriate caption.
“Got us a player.”
That’s how the Golden Eagles announced the signing of University athlete Jermane Hayes during National Signing Day Wednesday. The two-way standout committed on Jan. 25.
Hayes will head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as a wide receiver. While also playing cornerback for the Titans, he earned a three-star prospect rating from 247 Sports.
Hayes dominated the last two years as University not only made the playoffs but advanced past the first round in both seasons. In 2023, he caught 55 passes for 835 yards and nine touchdowns. As a senior, he hauled in 45 receptions for 812 yards and four scores.
At 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, he also grabbed three interceptions as a senior.
Hayes was just one of myriad local athletes to sign with colleges this week. Here is a list of others from the Volusia-Flagler area provided by school athletic directors.
Athletes are listed alphabetically for their respective schools.
Atlantic
- Bennie Garnett III, football, St. Thomas: Garnett scored seven touchdowns and grabbed two interceptions as a senior for the Sharks.
- Colby Moody, swimming, Midway: As a senior, Moody finished eighth in Region 2-2A with a 200-yard individual medley time of 2:19.39. He also swam on the 400-yard freestyle team that took 11th at regionals, and he placed fourth in the 100-yard backstroke at districts.
Deltona
- Jay Albizu, baseball, Middlesex: In 2024, Albizu led the Volusia-Flagler area in on-base percentage at a .571 clip. He batted .343 for the district champion Wolves.
- Zoe Cleveland, softball, State College of Florida: Cleveland has contributed to three straight playoff lineups with a .432 career average. Her best season came in the spring of 2023 when she batted .435 with 13 RBIs.
- Tessa Guenette, softball, East Stroudsburg: Guenette was one of Deltona’s two aces last spring, tallying an earned run average of 1.14 across 61⅓ innings. She collected 72 strikeouts and eight saves. At the plate, she hit .226.
- Jayden Lochiatto, baseball, Union Commonwealth: Lochiatto batted .286 with nine extra-base hits and 30 RBIs over the past two seasons. Eighteen of those RBIs came last year, tying him for the team lead and helping the Wolves to a district title.
- Jaylene Mieres, softball, Miami Dade: Another seasoned playoff veteran, Mieres eclipsed a .300 batting average during her sophomore and junior seasons. Last year, that number sat at .321 with 16 RBIs and eight extra-base knocks.
Father Lopez
- Nelanee Fulton, swimming, Arkansas-Little Rock: As a senior, Fulton ranked 12th at the 1A state meet with a 200-yard individual medley time of 2:09.15 and 16th with a 100-yard butterfly mark of 59.29 seconds. She claimed district championships in all four of her events.
Flagler Palm Coast
- Roman Caliendo, football, Shorter: As a 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end, Caliendo thrived in the receiving game as a senior. He amassed 46 receptions, 736 yards and four touchdowns.
- Jemon Little, football, Anna Maria: Little recorded 21 tackles, one sack and two pass breakups during his senior season.
- Skylar Ludovici, softball, Montreat: Last spring, Ludovici socked her first varsity home run while hitting .370 with 17 RBIs. She pitched to a 2.81 ERA across 32⅓ innings.
- Mariah Mills, wrestling, West Liberty: Now in her first year at Flagler Palm Coast, Mills wrestled her way to a state championship with Matanzas as a junior. She lost just one match, with 37 wins at 110 pounds.
- Jack Moberly, soccer, Tocca Falls: Moberly scored a team-high 22 goals during his senior season. He added eight assists.
- Evan Papadakos, soccer, Tocca Falls: The midfielder passed for eight assists while also netting three goals of his own as a senior.
- Ashleigh Pigeon, softball, Flagler: Pigeon paced the Bulldogs with 10 stolen bases as a junior. She batted .345 with one homer and 12 RBIs.
- Nathan Pertoso, baseball, Mitchell: The 5-foot-8, 175-pound outfielder heads to Division III Mitchell College in New London, Connecticut.
- Sadie Schell, softball, Keiser: Schell was one of two Bulldogs to cross the .400 batting average line in 2024. She hit .404 with 24 RBIs and a team-leading 12 doubles.
- Logan Shudy, baseball, Lesley: Shudy batted .207, with a .368 on-base percentage, five RBIs and nine runs scored as a junior.
- Brenin Striplin, baseball, Clarion: Striplin led Flagler Palm Coast’s regulars in batting average last season. He hit .250 with five RBIs and 10 runs scored.
- Corinthians Watson, football, St. Thomas: A versatile defender, Watson accumulated 73 tackles, including 11 for loss, as a senior. He had one interception and half a sack.
Mainland
- Eddie Lake, football, St. Thomas: As Mainland won a district championship during his senior year, Lake caught 21 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns.
- Edward Williams, football, St. Thomas: In his lone season with the Buccaneers, Williams was one of the area’s best running backs. He rumbled for 1,018 yards and seven touchdowns on 148 carries.
- Khalil Wilmore, football, St. Thomas: Wilmore registered four tackles and four pass breakups in 2024.
- Drayden Wood, football, St. Thomas: During his senior campaign, Wood notched 32 tackles, one interception and one sack.
Matanzas
- Leah Stevens, softball, Florida: Stevens revealed her commitment to the Gators last week. As a junior last spring, she starred on the mound with a 0.87 ERA and 196 strikeouts in 88⅔ innings and at the plate with a .435 average and 16 RBIs.
Spruce Creek
- Rebecca Boone, volleyball, Eckerd: Boone recorded a team-leading 186 kills with 267 digs and 292 serve receptions as a junior.
- Denali Campbell, football, Tuskegee: Campbell provided a versatile offensive presence for the Hawks last fall. They made the playoffs as he racked up 683 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns. He also made 29 tackles.
- Arianna Roy, cross country/track and field, Auburn: Roy placed fifth at the 4A state cross country meet in November. During her junior track season, she slotted third in the 1,600-meter and fourth in the 3,200-meter run.
- Mackenzie Roy, cross country/track and field, Auburn: Last fall, Roy captured the Volusia-Flagler area’s first individual girls XC title in 25 years, earning the Gatorade Florida Runner of the Year award in the process. She also secured a pair of silver medals in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs last track season.
Taylor
- Amya Ramos, softball, Florida A&M: Ramos produced monster numbers as a junior, hitting .571 with six home runs, eight doubles, three triples and 33 RBIs.
University
- JJ Adame, baseball, Daytona State: Adame provides a standout defensive presence as a catcher and also put up a 2.52 ERA across 16⅔ innings on the mound last year.
- Isaiah Baker, football, Stetson: After hauling in 10 touchdowns as a junior, Baker had 34 receptions for 443 yards and six touchdowns as a senior.
- Devin Carson, football, Stetson: Carson saved his best season for last, collecting 78 tackles and a fumble recovery for the district champion Titans.
- Bella Delgado, softball, Seminole State: Two years ago, Delgado hit .250 and scored 15 runs for the Titans.
- Mia Fisher, softball, Flagler: Fisher smacked six doubles and drove in 11 runs on her way to a .304 batting average last spring. She pitched to a 3.94 ERA.
- Jaylen Hill, football, St. Thomas: As a senior, Hill caught nine passes and helped pave the way for University’s explosive run game as a blocker.
- Cimber Jenkins, volleyball, St. Andrews: Jenkins paced University in kills with 156 during her season year. She tacked on 164 digs and 105 serve receptions.
- Brylee Kamm, flag football, Webber International: Kamm missed much of her junior flag football season due to an injury. But in 2023, she completed 50% of her passes for 650 yards and three touchdowns. She also plays soccer and kicked for the varsity football team.
- Bryson Maynard, baseball, Polk State: The 6-foot-4 pitcher cuts an imposing figure on the mound. He played for the Titan’s’ 14-12 squad two years ago and 9-14 lineup in 2024.
- Rosie Tagg, soccer, Greensboro: Tagg served as a captain on University’s 14-7-1 squad this winter.
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