PORT ORCHARD — Six South Kitsap athletes made their college commitments official on Feb. 7 as they took part in National Signing Day.
Baseball players Dusty Garcia, Alex Garcia and Drew Worden; soccer players Grant Larson and Savannah Foster; and wrestler Mason Eaglin all gathered in the commons at the front entrance of South Kitsap High School with family, friends and coaches in attendance to share the moment.
Dusty Garcia, a sweet-swinging lefty who can go get it in center field, was the top hitter for the Wolves last season, batting over .400.
He committed to Arizona State University. Drew Worden, a middle infielder, will head across Puget Sound to the University of Washington, and Alex Garcia, the team’s signal caller, will continue his career at Edmonds, a top area junior college.
The trio were all starters as freshmen when the Wolves won the 4A state championship in 2015.
“They’ve put a lot into this game and they’re going to get to play for as long as they decide they want to play it,” South Kitsap baseball head coach Marcus Logue said.
Logue said he is excited to see what the team can do this year with three high-level players leading the way, but the athletes themselves are more relieved to have this decision in their rearview mirrors so they can focus on winning this spring.
“It’s nice to be able to play easy and free, and just let all that go,” Worden said.
Foster was the unquestioned leader of this year’s girls soccer team. A holding midfielder, she will attend the University of Idaho, having committed just before the school year started in August.
She plans to major in broadcasting with a minor in film.
“It had the major I wanted and that was definitely a deciding factor along with the coaching staff,” Foster said.
Fellow soccer player Grant Larson will also be headed to the Gem State, having committed to Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa.
Last year, Larson served as the go-to striker for the boys soccer team with 14 regular season goals, helping lead the Wolves back to the postseason for the first time in three years.
“So much stress goes into figuring out what college you want to go,” Larson said.
“It’s nice to be done with it.”
Eaglin is in the midst of his final wrestling season at South Kitsap, and it has been a successful one.
Most recently, he won the South Puget Sound League championship in the 170 division and is expected to contend for a state championship.
Eaglin is committed to Duke University.
Mark Krulish is a reporter for Kitsap News Group.
Savannah Foster, seated next to Alex Garcia, signs her letter of intent to play soccer at the University of Idaho. (Mark Krulisk/Kitsap News Group)
Boys soccer player Grant Larson, sitting between baseball players Dusty Garcia and Drew Worden, signs on to play at Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho.
