SPRING SIGNINGS: Trinity's Lee, Macon East's Daniels, Prattville's Kendrick, Hooper's Seithalil to play at next level
Jayden Kendrick offer from Marion Military Institute and signed on Monday. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
PRATTVILLE -- The Prattville Lions held a signing ceremony for center fielder Jayden Kendrick on Monday as the senior accepted an offer from Marion Military Institute to continue her softball career.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity,” she said. “I honestly didn’t think I was capable of getting an offer from anywhere. But with the help of Coach (Brian) Pittman and my teammates, I just kept grinding and it happened.”
Kendrick started her career at Wetumpka High, changing schools when her father’s job led him to Prattville. Throughout a season that will end in the 7A state tournament, Kendrick has had her ups and downs, driving in 19 RBIs with only 17 hits, managing just a .195 batting order but showing power with her four home runs.
“Jayden is a very powerful kid,” Pittman said. “She doesn’t really realize her potential yet. I watch her sometimes at batting practice and it’s nothing for her, out of 10 pitches, to hit seven or eight out. She’s got it all -- great arm, can move, smart kid -- but going to Jeff (Benson at MMI), he’s going to develop her and bring her more in tune to softball, day in, day out. It’s like we always talk about, there’s two things you can’t coach and that’s speed and power and she’s got one of them.”
Kendrick credited “all the help from Pittman” for her college offer and predicted her best days are in front of her.
“I really don’t know how much potential I have,” she said, “but as long as I keep working and keep striving, that’s all that matters.”
Tyler Daniels signs to football with Bethel University. (Contributed)
Daniels signs with Bethel to play football
CECIL -- Tyler Daniels could accomplish a lot of goals at Booker T. Washington Magnet, but there was one thing he couldn’t do.
“I wanted to play football,” Daniels said. “I love basketball a lot, but football is my first love.”
So Daniels took his talents to Macon East Academy, where he has played the last two years as an outside linebacker and wide receiver. On Monday, he was honored at a signing ceremony in the school gym after choosing to play football for the Bethel University Wildcats.
“It didn’t come as a surprise because I knew how good of an athlete I was,” Daniels said. “I always knew I was going to continue my sports career somewhere, whether it was basketball or football, but it did surprise me a little that it was football.”
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Daniels was a standout on the defensive side of the ball, but the Bethel coaching staff wanted the Macon East senior as a receiver, where he totaled 508 receiving yards and eight touchdowns this past season.
“That came as a shock as well because I’m a big defensive guy,” Daniels said. “All my looks and interest came from the defensive side of the ball so when a school actually asked me to play receiver, it was kind of a shock.”
Macon East Academy coach Reginald Sprouse, who coached Daniels this past season in basketball, made some calls to college coaches he knew and got Bethel, an NAIA program in Tennessee, to take a closer look.
“I sent stuff to a bunch of college coaches and a few of them responded,” Sprouse said. “Tyler can do whatever he wants to, once he’s got his mind set on it. I think it’s great for Tyler. He’s got that ability to play at the next level.”
Defensive coordinator Bob Pickett said Daniels’ potential makes him a great pickup for any college football program.
“He hadn’t played in several years, so he was extremely raw last year but just unbelievable talent,” Pickett said. “He can go catch it, runs really well. I think the sky’s the limit because he’s still kind of green at the game.
“I had two good outside linebackers (during Daniels’ junior season in 2020) but I knew going into this year he would rotate into the position. Well, people would game plan not to run to his side because he’s that type of player that can walk down and play the line of scrimmage or drop into coverage. He’s extremely hard to throw over.”
Daniels said he wanted to spend the next couple of months working on drills to improve his footwork as he transitions to the collegiate level.
“I can still get greater in some areas,” he said. “Yes, I’m good enough to play college football but I still have some things to work on because I didn’t play football all four years of high school.”
Ahmad Lee of Trinity has chosen to play football at Birmingham-Southern. (Tim Gayle)
Ahmad Lee headed to Birmingham-Southern to play football
Ahmad Lee had several options closer to home, but the Trinity senior offensive lineman felt comfortable with his visit to Birmingham-Southern College.
“I just loved it up there,” Lee said. “It was a great atmosphere, great place, great football team, great academics and I just wanted to be a part of it.”
Lee announced his intentions at a school ceremony on Thursday morning, accepting an offer to continue his playing career with the Panthers next season.
Lee had collegiate offers in February when other seniors in the area were announcing their intentions, but decided to wait as he considered other offers, including Alabama State, Huntingdon College and Maryville College.
“Signing day is an important day for a lot of people, but it’s not the only day you can sign,” Trinity coach Granger Shook said. “For guys like Ahmad, who have several opportunities to go play college football, there is a lot of prayer and wise counsel that players take in trying to decide the right fit for them. I think Ahmad Lee has done a great job of praying and discernment and taking that counsel. He decided Birmingham Southern was the best fit for him. I don’t disagree. The scheme they play fits Ahmad very well, so I’m extremely proud of the man he is becoming. He’s going to use his athletic ability to better his life and I’m proud of that.
“Ahmad has developed into a fine young man through a lot of hard work in the classroom, through a lot of hard work on the field and in the weight room and he’s reaping the fruits of his labor right now.”
For Lee, it was a long journey to reach this point. He has been a starter the past four years, first at Evangel Christian Academy as a freshman, then at Autauga Academy as a sophomore and finally at Trinity Presbyterian the past two years.
“It feels great, being able to write my name on a piece of paper,” Lee said. “It’s a great school. They have a good team and a good program and the academics is top tier.”
Millie Seithalil recently slgned to play softball at Marion Military Institute. (Contributed)
Seithalil to play softball at Marion Military Institute
HOPE HULL -- Millie Seithalil was already planning a career in the Air Force when a new opportunity arose.
“I was planning on enlisting in the military straight out of high school,” she said. “One of my buddies said, ‘Hey, I texted Coach (Jeff) Benson, he wants to see you.’ That happened and just like that.”
Just like that, the six-year starter at Hooper Academy had an offer to play softball on a scholarship offer from Marion Military Institute. And just like that, Seithalil accepted the offer and now will receive some training from the military school, which can help advance her career.
“It can show me if military is the route I want to go,” she said, “or if it’s not and I’ll do something else.”
Seithalil was honored on Wednesday with a signing ceremony at the school, which was attended by her teammates who are participating in the state softball tournament this weekend, her current coach and her future coach, Benson.
“It creates a good pathway for these other girls,” Hooper Academy coach Elyse McIntyre said, “making sure that they can get to that next level if they want. They just have to work hard. Millie’s one of the hardest workers I’ve been around in 12 years of coaching. On the field, off the field, she’s a great leader and a hard worker.”
Seithalil has played second base, third base, shortstop and has even pitched at times over her career, but is most comfortable in center field. She said she is happy for the opportunity to continue her career at any position, but went through tryouts at center field.
“I’m sure he’ll coach me through everything,” Seithalil said, “but I go to the gym every day and work on my speed and my strength so I can keep up with the bigger league.”
McIntyre said Seithalil could contribute at a variety of positions, but noted she’s always preferred the outfield.
“She can play just about anything,” she said. “She can even pitch if I need her to, but I don’t need her there yet. I needed her in the outfield so she’s been that good leader in the outfield.”