WEST POINT — It was a match made in heaven as soon as Oak Hill Academy senior John Ross Craven stepped on the campus of Belhaven University.

Craven took his official visit to Jackson on Monday, and almost immediately, he fell in love with the campus.

At 9:30 a.m., he talked with the coaching staff, and soon after touring the campus and facilities of the football program, he committed on the spot.

On Thursday morning, he held his signing day in West Point.

“They’re so down-to-earth,” Craven said. “The coach told me that I could give him a call when you know when you want to commit and I was like I want to commit right now.”

His senior season with the Raiders was a prolific one as the running back/linebacker ran for 1,714 yards and 25 touchdowns while recording 132 total tackles, eight sacks and two interceptions.

Craven averaged 6.9 yards per carry for Oak Hill, carrying the team on both sides of the ball.

“He’s a good player, a good kid, a good student as well, so they’re getting the full package at Belhaven,” Raiders head coach Bill Rosenthal said. “We’re proud of him. He’s a leader on our team and we’re going to miss him.”

With such a short turnaround between his commitment and signing day, it hadn’t quite set in yet for Craven that he’ll be playing college football.

A four-sport athlete at Oak Hill, playing football, baseball, basketball and tennis, he will focus all of his athletic energy toward football with the Blazers.

Once graduation comes around, everything will set in for real.

“It has and it hasn’t,” Craven said. “I don’t report for fall camp until Aug. 7, so I’m just going to get the offseason workout program that the strength and conditioning coach is going to give me and I’m going to grind all summer.”