NINE HORSEHEADS ATHLETES SIGN TO PLAY D1 & D2 SPORTS (22 PHOTOS) (2023-05-31)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
HORSEHEADS — Competing in collegiate sports is rare. Getting a chance to compete at the Division I and II levels is even rarer.

Nine Horseheads athletes recently signed to do just that with three heading to Division I schools and six more signing to Division II schools.

CULLIN COLE
BINGHAMTON SWIMMING
The state champion in the 50 free this winter, Cole will now get a chance to compete at the collegiate level as he heads to Binghamton.

“Binghamton, it was definitely the athletes there,” Cole said. “It made me feel like home. I just love the atmosphere, it was great.

“Definitely the drive I heard from the other athletes who are already there. They said their practices are tough, which is good. I love tough practices. I love the Gough work, hard work just drives me to be better.”

Cole is excited to try and accomplish some of the same things in college that he did in high school.

“I think it definitely will be a drive to do the same things there,” Cole said. “Get a few school records hopefully. Get my name up on their board. It will just drive me to do what I did here there.”

It was special for Wolf to be part of the signing day at Horseheads.

“The day is just awesome,” Cole said. “Just being able to go up there with all my friends, all the other excellent athletes from Horseheads. It’s just remarkable and just amazing.”

MOLLY WOLF
LEMOYNE, SOFTBALL
For Wolf it was special to have a signing day with all of her friends and family there.

“It’s awesome having eight other people beside me and ready to commit to the next level,” Wolf said. “It’s special that we all get to do it together.”

LeMoyne just felt like the right fit for Wolf.

“It’s a really small school, really familiar atmosphere,” Wolf said. “I just felt the family values it has there. I felt very comfortable there and I love the coaches and the staff and all my teammates.

“It’s a great academic program as well as athletics, so I’m really excited to experience both of them.”

There were a lot of great moments and lessons learned by Wolf at Horseheads.

“I made some great memories here,” she said. “Athletically and academically there is a lot to miss here. But, I’m ready to move onto the next level and make some more memories.

“I feel like I have learned to be a great leader here with my coaches and my teammates. I feel like I’m a great teammate so I’m ready to use that at the next level.”

Wolf is ready for the chance to play at the D1 level.

“There is definitely going to be a learning curve, but everybody goes through it and I’m ready to take on the challenge,” Wolf said.

NOAH RUFFER
BUFFALO, T&F
In high school Ruffer has been one of the best pentathlon athletes in the state and now he’s ready to compete in multi events at the collegiate level.

“I’ll probably continue to do the decathlon and pentathlon,” Ruffer said. “I have really been looking forward to having specific coaches for every event. Which is something most high schools don’t have. I’m really looking forward to it. To have a training plan, how much I can improve and having teammates who can push me.

“I think one of the biggest things was they had several other great multi coaches and athletes who were looking to do well this season.”

The Horseheads senior was excited to get to sign for college with all his classmates.

“It’s been really great experiencing this with my friends and family,” he said. “Just a dream of every high school athlete is to compete at the D1 level and it’s really special.”

RYAN MASSENGALE
GANNON, WRESTLING
For Massengale it’s nice to have a decision made and know where he’ll be competing in college.

“It’s a big step and I’m very excited,” he said. “It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders. I have been looking to make my decision so it’s good to get it off my shoulders.”

Gannon just felt like the right fit for the Horseheads standout..

“The environment, I loved the area,” he said. “The coaches really spoke to me so as soon as I went there I knew I was going to go there. I’ve already been in touch with the incoming class so we are ready tow work and that’s what I love.”

Massengale knows he has to work hard so that he can excel at the collegiate level.

“I’ve just got to work harder than I’ve ever worked and I’m excited for the tough competition,” Massengale said. “It’s all going to be top level and that’s what I’m here for.

“Hard work all the time, dedication, getting up every morning with the drive to succeed (Massengale said of what he plans to do in college).”

SYDNEY HAM
COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE, WOMEN’S LACROSSE
An all-league defender and a key member of a Horseheads girls’ lacrosse team that reached the sectional final every year of her career and won sectional titles each year of her career until finishing as runner-up to Ithaca, which had dropped down to Class A this season.

DOMANIK WEST
COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE, MEN’S LACROSSE
For West it’s a dream getting a chance to play in college.

“It’s great, I have been playing lacrosse my whole life,” West said. “I just can’t wait. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little boy.”

West feels like Saint Rose is the right place to continue his career.

“I love the atmosphere, the campus is beautiful and I love the team atmosphere,” West said. “I just love the team, the team is great, they are all brothers there, it’s awesome.”

Getting a chance to play with Johanson makes things extra special.

“It’s awesome, we have been playing lacrosse together our whole lives,” West said. “Just the team chemistry it’s great.”

West hopes the two Horseheads teammates can accomplish something special in college.

“Hopefully my senior year me and Alex are captains and running the show,” West said.

ALEX JOHANSON
COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE, MEN’S LACROSSE
For Johanson getting a chance to play at the collegiate level is special.

“It’s awesome, I have been playing lacrosse my whole life,” he said. “I started in kindergarten and worked my way up through the Horseheads program and played lacrosse the whole way and I’m excited to have the opportunity to play at the next level.”

Saint Rose just felt like the right place for the Horseheads senior.

“The uniqueness of the campus, the coaches were great,” Johanson said. “The players were great. A really unique place. I love all the history in Albany.

“The coaches are great, I love the atmosphere there. All the boys are like a family. They really welcomed me. I’m already in some group chats with them, making some new friends, so they are awesome.”

A lot of work is going to be put in between now and when he gets on campus.

“It’s going to be a big summer,” Johanson said. “A lot of shooting, a lot of passing. I’m going to go with my friends and play summer league and just get better.”

Getting to play with West just makes the whole thing even more special for Johanson.

“Dom is my best friend, I didn’t know he was going to Saint Rose until I actually called the coach and let him know, so it’s really special,” Johanson said. “My best friend and I’m excited to be able to play with him again.”

No matter his role Johanson is ready to contribute in college.

“I want to help the team, whether that’s carry water, whether that’s play the whole game, whether that’s anything in between,” Johanson said. “I want to help the team win and that’s what I plan to do.”

EMMA BACHERT
IUP, DIVING
For Bachert getting a chance to sign to compete in college is special.

“I’m really excited,” Bachert said. “It’s going to be a new experience and I’m happy to just be with a new team.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania just felt like the right fit for Bachert.

“I just really like the whole team and the environment and it just made me really feel like home.”

Bachert is excited to learn new dives and just improve at the collegiate level.

“I am really excited for the new coaching staff, and just a new environment and getting new dives and scores and a new three meter list, it will be a lot of fun,” Bachert said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun because I know a lot of them (other college divers) are really amazing, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

BRODY JACOBS
WEST CHESTER FOOTBALL  
Jacobs is going to a school he’s familiar with and it’s something that’s exciting for him.

“My dad went there and it’s always been a good place to go around in the summer time,” Jacobs said. “I have family down there and the coaching staff is great, the environment down there is great and it’s good D2 football too. Pa. knows where it is at for football.”

Jacobs loves everything about the West Chester program, especially for linemen.

“Just the competition, the guys down there are great, they really get after it in practice,” Jacobs said. “They all lift each other up. They’ll beat each other up and they are all teammates and they all get along pretty well too.

“The coaching staff, the guys down there, the players, they have some pretty good players on the team. The O line down there is great, they really take pride in what they do. The school itself really takes pride in its lineman too.”

A knee injury cost Jacobs his senior year in sports and just makes him even more excited to get back on the field.

“It’s a pretty good day, I can’t lie, I have been waiting for this for a long time,” Jacobs said. “Having the knee injury kind of delays things and it’s good to finally get past that.

“I’m really excited, I’ve got a lot of things to get off my shoulders. Beat some people up on the field, so I”m pretty pumped to get back out there.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES