At Columbus High School’s 2020 National Signing Day ceremony, four Falcons football players signed their letters of intent to continue their careers.
On Wednesday, in the school’s 2021 edition of the event, that number was up to six.
For coach Joshua Pulphus, who just completed his second season in charge of the Falcons, that’s just the progress he was hoping to see.
“It’s amazing,” Pulphus said. “For us to use our athletic ability to gain an education, that’s what it’s all about.”
Wednesday morning, Columbus sent off six players who play a variety of positions to four different junior colleges across the state of Mississippi.
“Just to see the majority of them around and on Thursday nights to run up there and check them out, it’s going to be great,” Pulphus said.
To see three of the 2020 Falcons, the coach won’t have to travel very far. Linebacker Steven Cattledge, quarterback Ethan Conner and running back/defensive back Karon Hawk Jr. all signed to play for East Mississippi Community College.
“It was a dream,” Hawk said. “I used to play Pee Wee football with them, and going to the next level with them is cool.”
Hawk was a first-year starter in the secondary for the Falcons, posting four interceptions as he adjusted to his new position.
“I like the ball being in my hands a lot, and when I transitioned to defense, I had to get the hang of it,” he said.
Conner is another Falcon accustomed to having plenty of touches. As Columbus’ starting quarterback the past two seasons, the 6-foot-4 senior showcased his arm and physical frame, excelling at running the ball.
Listed as simply “athlete” by the Lions, Conner also had offers from eight other junior colleges as well as NCAA Division I schools South Alabama (FBS) and Austin Peay (FCS). Pulphus said he was glad to see that Conner had plenty of choices when it came time to select a college.
“To see him get those opportunities, you can’t be anything but proud and pleased,” Pulphus said. “I’m grinning ear to ear for him because I know the hard work he put in — the blood, sweat and tears he put in.”
Conner said he hopes to excel at EMCC and earn a chance to play for a bigger D-I program in the future. So did Cattledge, a star linebacker who totaled 300 tackles over the past two seasons and picked the Lions over scholarship offers from Louisiana, South Alabama and Central Arkansas and a preferred walk-on opportunity at Mississippi State.
“He’s the best linebacker in the state of Mississippi, and he’s going to continue to go be better,” Pulphus said of Cattledge. “He’s going to be playing on Sundays one day.”
That day could come sooner for Cattledge and Conner than for most. Both Falcons are academic qualifiers, meaning they can only play one season at the junior college level before seeking a new opportunity.
Offensive lineman Johnathon Dickerson, who is headed to Mississippi Delta Community College, is in the same boat.
As the only senior starter on the Falcons’ O-line this season, Dickerson started out at tackle and moved to guard, able to fill whatever position his team needed.
“He wanted to make sure the younger guys understood what was going on because he knew his time was limited,” Pulphus said.
Dickerson will continue his ninth-grade connection with former Falcons assistant coach Tobias Smith, now the Trojans’ O-line coach, and he’ll major in business when he gets to Moorhead. He said he’s glad his football scholarship will help his parents handle the “expensive” cost of college.
“It’s a really good program,” Dickerson said.
Safety Jaylen Harrison will also major in business, something he said was an important factor in his college decision. Harrison, who chose Itawamba Community College over Coahoma Community College and EMCC, racked up five interceptions in his first year starting, slotting among the top 10 players in MHSAA Class 5A in that category.
“It means everything,” he said of joining the Indians. “It’s a dream come true.”
Wide receiver Steven Turner, too, said he’d been waiting for Wednesday’s signing day for a long time. He was already sure of his destination: East Central Community College, where his brother Chris Deloach played before heading to UCF.
“Steve wanted to follow in his brother’s footsteps, but he also wants to be better than his brother,” Pulphus said. “East Central sold him when his brother went to school, so he already knew where he wanted to go.”
Turner said ECCC is a good school that will get him prepared for the real world — exactly what Pulphus is hoping for when it comes to his graduating seniors.
“That’s one thing that we’re doing here at Columbus: We don’t want to make them just football ready,” Pulphus said. “We want to make them college ready, career ready and also service ready.”
All of the Falcons moving on Wednesday, Pulphus said, already fit that description.
“They’re going to make the school they signed with proud,” he said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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