Two more Dawson County High School student-athletes recently made their choices to continue their careers at the collegiate level, with football player Doug Pagel signing with Hanover College in Indiana and Jace Jett joining the track and field team at Truett McConnell University.
(story continues below)Both players battled through injuries in the past season, showing both physical and mental determination in the process.
Pagel’s career as a wide receiver culminated in him winning the team’s George Moser Leadership Award after displaying his willingness to help the team even through injury.
“Doug played hurt most of the year and would never quit — that’s just who he is,” head coach Sid Maxwell said. “To build this football program, you need mentors like him and others.”
Assistant coach Gary Wilson brought up a specific instance where Pagel showed his true character.
During Dawson County’s region championship matchup with rival Lumpkin County, Pagel voiced his support of the team continuing to use the same offensive package that had put the Tigers ahead in the game — even though Pagel was not a part of that package.
Jett was also a member of the football team, playing through a partially torn ACL this past season and toughing it out until the latter part of the regular season.
Previously, he was a member of Dawson’s track and field team as a short-distance sprinter.
He will be joining former Tigers hurdler Chandler Bagley — who was present at Jett’s signing — on the track at TMU.
Jett’s twin sister, Jadyn, described his path to a collegiate opportunity as a culmination of his perseverance through physical therapy and training over the past several months.
“He’s passionate, a hard worker, he loves people [and] is a great friend,” Jadyn Jett said. “He always puts 110% into everything he’s passionate about, and when he tore his ACL and could no longer put 110% into football, he put it into his physical therapy.”
Those two athletes wrapped up Dawson County’s collegiate signing season for this academic year.