• Bryce Broome (football; Minot State University, Minot, N.D.)
• Miranda Caballero (women’s soccer; Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
• LaForrest Church (men’s track; University of Memphis, Memphis, Tenn.)
• Jessica Peterson (women’s cross country; Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho)
• Becca Schoales (women’s soccer; University of Washington, Seattle)
Soccer often has been one of South Kitsap’s highlight sports during fall and spring.
On Wednesday morning, it was featured during the winter sports season as two girls soccer players were among five Wolves who signed on National Letter-of-Intent Day.
Both forward Becca Schoales (Washington) and midfielder Miranda Caballero (Middle Tennessee State) signed with their respective schools. Schoales, who was considered the state’s top women’s soccer recruit in the Class of 2013 before sitting out last fall after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during club season, committed to the Huskies in December 2011. She chose UW over an offer from North Carolina.
“I met the [UNC] coaches and when they put out all of the trophies it was almost impossible to turn down,” Schoales said. “When I toured Washington and got to meet the coaches, I realized I would rather win a championship with them. They have a bunch of players coming in who I think can do it.”
Schoales, who scored 13 goals and helped the Wolves reach the Class 4A state quarterfinals in 2011, said she is able to run and lift weights now and should be able to practice in a month. She said the injury has made her more eager than ever to play soccer this fall.
“I think it will be beneficial for me to have this off because it will mean more to me than ever,” she said.
Schoales and Caballero are the latest Wolves to sign at Division 1 programs. Last year, goalkeeper Bri Smallidge signed with Seattle, while midfielder Christina Boddie in 2010 went to Idaho.
“It says a lot about South Kitsap,” Caballero said. “We all know what we want and we have a lot of support to get there.”
Caballero, who wants to become an anesthesiologist, took her official visit to MTSU during the fall and said she “did not want to leave there.” That made the wait for signing day that much more difficult.
“It was kind of hard to sit in class this morning,” said Caballero. “I cannot wait.”
Defensive back Bryce Broome’s recruitment was a little different. Despite being a Class 4A first-team, all-state selection by the Associated Press after intercepting eight passes, Broome struggled to generate much recruiting attention. He committed Monday to North Dakota’s Minot State, a Division II school, over Eastern Oregon. Broome will join former South kicker Aaron La Deaux and his older brother, Leon, a wide receiver who recently transferred from Central Washington.
“It’s an amazing feeling to get five more years of football,” said Broome, adding that Minot State’s criminal justice program helped push him toward that university. “It’s surreal.”
A pair of standout runners also signed. LaForrest Church chose to run track at Memphis over Iowa State and Washington. Church, who plans to run the 400- and 800-meter events with the Tigers, said the coaches at Memphis emphasized training him as a sprinter, which appealed to him. He said he is happy to finalize the recruiting process and focus on his future as a runner and economics major.
“I love numbers,” Church said. “I love statistics. I love the stock market. Hopefully, I can throw some money in there and get super rich someday.”
Jessica Peterson, who similar to Church has competed in both cross country and track at South, signed with Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho over Northwest Nazarene and the University of Great Falls in Montana. Peterson said she liked the latter two schools, but as someone who wants to major in elementary education, she preferred the tuition rates at LCSC.
“I’m not at the top of the league, so when this opportunity came along I jumped on it,” said Peterson, who finished 33rd at the state cross-country meet last fall.
