Ouachita Bound We're Committed
Sports 11
Ouachita Bound
Soccer and football star Matt Day makes a decision about his future
Senior Matt Day had a difficult decision to make: would he stick with his long-time [reporter] passion, or would he take the new-found opportunity that just a few months earlier he never thought he would have? While Matt has always had a knack for soccer, this year he became a kicker in football and impressed everyone with a 50yard field goal during a game, and a 60-yard field goal in practice. “It was definitely crazy hitting those kicks,” Matt said. “I didn’t know if they had enough distance at first, but both of them eventually snuck over the bar.” Colleges have been asking about him ever since, saying he has what it takes to make it as their kicker, and it made Matt reconsider playing soccer at Ouachita Baptist University. “I love soccer and football about the same amount, so I knew I would be happy with whichever one I chose,” Matt said. “And when I did end up choosing Ouachita Baptist, I knew I’d miss football a lot, too. I just had to list out the pros and cons of each and look at it that way.” Playing football did not always seem like a possibility for Matt.
ZACH CARPENTER
We’re Committed
He was always set on playing soccer in college, but with a successful season for the Hawks, Matt proved to schools such as Arkansas, Tulsa, Stephen F. Austin, and Kansas that he had what it took to be a pro. “I had already received a scholarship to Ouachita to play goalkeeper for them,” said Day. “But then I had the really successful season kicking, and other schools started showing interest in me, especially Stephen F. Austin. It really opened up my eyes and made me think, ‘Oh, I should look into this.’ I don’t want to be 20 years into the future thinking that I might have been able to do something different if I had decided to go into kicking.” While ultimately the decision was Matt’s, Matt was not alone in the decision-making process. He often looks to his parents for guidance and encouragement, because he knows they will always have his back. “My parents wanted me to do what I wanted to do,” Matt said. “Which is good. But it’s also annoying because I still had to actually make a decision. But they would have supported me with whichever one I chose. They like watching me play both.” Even though Matt has always played both soccer and football., playing kicker was not always something that he had in mind.
Five seniors commit to play sports in college
“I was on a travel soccer team in the 8th grade, and I was also on the middle school football team,” said Matt. “I was playing receiver at the time, and I thought that I could give kicking a shot, and I turned out to be pretty good at it.” Some people venture into college sports because they don’t want to stop playing the sport that they have been playing since they were kids. Others believe they have a chance of turning their talents into cash at the professional level. As for Matt, he believes both things. “I love soccer, so going to college for it is special,” said Matt. “I also believe I have a chance to play in the pros someday, and going to play in college would really help.” When Matt started getting interested in playing college football and giving up his childhood sport, soccer, he thought about the positives and negatives of his decision. A decision had to be made at some point, and he couldn’t sit around thinking about it forever. “There’s not a lot of money in soccer so I’ll be paying for school, but I’ll get to play soccer and it’s always been my dream to play college soccer,” said Matt. There’s more money in football so that means I would have been paying less for school, and honestly I never thought about kicking at the next level until I started kicking this year.” When decision day finally came, Matt knew that his journey wasn’t over, and that he still has to go out and prove that he can perform at the highest level. “I’m just going to be the best I can be,” said Matt. “I want my coaches to know that I will give it my best no matter what.”
Matt Day dives to save a penalty kick in last season’s game versus Texas High
Caleb Bolden
Seminole State College
“I feel like I made the right decision in signing to Seminole,” Caleb said. “It was really cool to get to sign with my buddy Cade. We grew up playing together and it was also cool to see some of my friends signing as well.”
Cade Thompson
Arkansas Monticello
“It’s good to have everybody support us and show that they actually care about us and to prove that all of our hard work paid off,” Cade said. “I feel like I can go and improve and be the best person I can be in life at AMU.”
Hannah Haltom
McLennan Community College
“I’m really excited to see where my golf career takes me,” Hannah said. “And I am happy to start the next level at McLennan.”
Jackson Pace
Abilene Christian University
“I was extremely proud of myself and my fellow athletes for taking this step,” senior Jackson Pace said. “I know that it has been a dream for all of us since we were little to take our sports to the next level.”
Matt Day
Ouachita Baptist University
“It felt good to make it official because now we don’t have to worry about anything else,” Matt said. “I feel like I can be a better soccer player and better person and it feels like home on the campus.”
Ouachita Bound
Soccer and football star Matt Day makes a decision about his future
Senior Matt Day had a difficult decision to make: would he stick with his long-time [reporter] passion, or would he take the new-found opportunity that just a few months earlier he never thought he would have? While Matt has always had a knack for soccer, this year he became a kicker in football and impressed everyone with a 50yard field goal during a game, and a 60-yard field goal in practice. “It was definitely crazy hitting those kicks,” Matt said. “I didn’t know if they had enough distance at first, but both of them eventually snuck over the bar.” Colleges have been asking about him ever since, saying he has what it takes to make it as their kicker, and it made Matt reconsider playing soccer at Ouachita Baptist University. “I love soccer and football about the same amount, so I knew I would be happy with whichever one I chose,” Matt said. “And when I did end up choosing Ouachita Baptist, I knew I’d miss football a lot, too. I just had to list out the pros and cons of each and look at it that way.” Playing football did not always seem like a possibility for Matt.
ZACH CARPENTER
We’re Committed
He was always set on playing soccer in college, but with a successful season for the Hawks, Matt proved to schools such as Arkansas, Tulsa, Stephen F. Austin, and Kansas that he had what it took to be a pro. “I had already received a scholarship to Ouachita to play goalkeeper for them,” said Day. “But then I had the really successful season kicking, and other schools started showing interest in me, especially Stephen F. Austin. It really opened up my eyes and made me think, ‘Oh, I should look into this.’ I don’t want to be 20 years into the future thinking that I might have been able to do something different if I had decided to go into kicking.” While ultimately the decision was Matt’s, Matt was not alone in the decision-making process. He often looks to his parents for guidance and encouragement, because he knows they will always have his back. “My parents wanted me to do what I wanted to do,” Matt said. “Which is good. But it’s also annoying because I still had to actually make a decision. But they would have supported me with whichever one I chose. They like watching me play both.” Even though Matt has always played both soccer and football., playing kicker was not always something that he had in mind.
Five seniors commit to play sports in college
“I was on a travel soccer team in the 8th grade, and I was also on the middle school football team,” said Matt. “I was playing receiver at the time, and I thought that I could give kicking a shot, and I turned out to be pretty good at it.” Some people venture into college sports because they don’t want to stop playing the sport that they have been playing since they were kids. Others believe they have a chance of turning their talents into cash at the professional level. As for Matt, he believes both things. “I love soccer, so going to college for it is special,” said Matt. “I also believe I have a chance to play in the pros someday, and going to play in college would really help.” When Matt started getting interested in playing college football and giving up his childhood sport, soccer, he thought about the positives and negatives of his decision. A decision had to be made at some point, and he couldn’t sit around thinking about it forever. “There’s not a lot of money in soccer so I’ll be paying for school, but I’ll get to play soccer and it’s always been my dream to play college soccer,” said Matt. There’s more money in football so that means I would have been paying less for school, and honestly I never thought about kicking at the next level until I started kicking this year.” When decision day finally came, Matt knew that his journey wasn’t over, and that he still has to go out and prove that he can perform at the highest level. “I’m just going to be the best I can be,” said Matt. “I want my coaches to know that I will give it my best no matter what.”
Matt Day dives to save a penalty kick in last season’s game versus Texas High
Caleb Bolden
Seminole State College
“I feel like I made the right decision in signing to Seminole,” Caleb said. “It was really cool to get to sign with my buddy Cade. We grew up playing together and it was also cool to see some of my friends signing as well.”
Cade Thompson
Arkansas Monticello
“It’s good to have everybody support us and show that they actually care about us and to prove that all of our hard work paid off,” Cade said. “I feel like I can go and improve and be the best person I can be in life at AMU.”
Hannah Haltom
McLennan Community College
“I’m really excited to see where my golf career takes me,” Hannah said. “And I am happy to start the next level at McLennan.”
Jackson Pace
Abilene Christian University
“I was extremely proud of myself and my fellow athletes for taking this step,” senior Jackson Pace said. “I know that it has been a dream for all of us since we were little to take our sports to the next level.”
Matt Day
Ouachita Baptist University
“It felt good to make it official because now we don’t have to worry about anything else,” Matt said. “I feel like I can be a better soccer player and better person and it feels like home on the campus.”
