MONTAGUE — Six Montague athletes were celebrated May 14 for their collegiate sports signing day, each set to compete at the two-year college level.
One athlete, Wyatt Fairchild, actually committed to compete in a different sport than he played at Montague. A wheelchair track athlete for the Wildcats, Fairchild is set to play wheelchair basketball at St. Clair County Community College (SC4), the only two-year college in the state that sponsors the sport.
Fairchild said he's been playing wheelchair basketball for half his life and was able to earn a grant to cover some of his educational costs at the school. He plays for the Junior Pacers, a team sponsored by Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids.
"I might not have the GPA to go to a university right now, but I want to keep playing basketball, and so this was just my best option," Fairchild said. "It was the best of both worlds for me."
Fairchild's basketball opportunities may not stop there, as he's played in tournaments that also included wheelchair teams from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. Wyatt's mom, Tanya, said Wyatt was able to get to know UM coach Jessica Wynne at one recent tournament, establishing a connection that could lead to a spot on the Wolverines once he completes his two years at SC4. UM is slated to join the National Wheelchair Basketball Association for the 2025-26 season.
"Wheelchair basketball can take you a long way," Fairchild said. "We've come to realize that. It's a lot of networking. I'm going to meet a lot of people. I've already met a lot of people through college basketball that are going to help me a lot in life."
Two pairs of Wildcats signed on to be soccer teammates at Muskegon Community College. For the girls' team, which just completed a historic district title season, stars Ava Pelton and Adilynn Peterson will remain teammates for the Jayhawks.
Both qualified for the Muskegon Promise scholarship, but neither wanted to give up the sport yet after playing together so many years.
"I just love soccer," Peterson said. "My sister (Emma) played there for two years, and she talked about how fun it was and how rewarding it was. Even though it was hard work, she enjoyed her seasons, and she made a lot of friends. It was a good way to stay in shape and stay active in school."
Pelton in particular expressed an interest in competing even beyond MCC and believes the Jayhawks' style of play suits her skill set.
"The style that those girls play, I was just astonished at how they play," Pelton said. "I'm looking forward to hopefully get seen by more colleges to go further on after community college and see where that takes me."
Pelton is likely to play an offensive role for MCC, while Peterson, who was a star midfielder at Montague, said her spot hasn't yet been determined because of the composition of the Jayhawks' roster.
On the boys' side, Trevor Trevino and Lucas Husband will also play together for the Jayhawks after being part of a historic district title season. Both said their goal was always to play soccer collegiately.
"It's a lot different than high school," Trevino said. "It's much more competitive and a lot more intense. I like it a lot more. I think it'll be fun to play with them on a good team, a consistent team."
Trevino played striker at Montague, but said he would prefer to play a different position at MCC, feeling the role doesn't really fit him despite his success doing it. He said he's most excited to meet new people as a Jayhawk.
"When I went to the practices, those guys were cool guys," Trevino said. "I'm excited to build new bonds with people. That's a whole different branch of play I've never been into, so I think it'll be fun to explore."
Husband, too, is excited for a more competitive atmosphere in college. A midfielder at Montague, he said he may end up on defense at MCC but is open to whatever spot fits best. He added that while he's open to continuing to play at a four-year school if the chance arises, he will take things one day at a time.
"Having that opportunity to go out there and play with a new team is exciting," Husband said.
Jordan Netcott, meanwhile, signed to play at Vincennes University, a two-year school in Indiana. Her sister Morgan previously played there and raved about the experience, and Rachel shared those sentiments when she had a chance to visit.
"I've been there watching Morgan's games before, and I really like the gym and the facilities," Netcott said. "I'm just looking forward to being with people who are all in the college athlete mindset. You want to win, you want to get better, you want to practice."
Netcott said she plans to pursue nursing, and her timing is great; Vincennes is planning to open a new academic building this fall that's focused on that program.
