By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times

Colin Raysor and and Titus Richards sit in front of family members.

CALN – Six Coatesville Area Senior High (CASH) football players signed letters of intent to continue their careers at the collegiate level at a conference on Wednesday, Feb. 12.

Daquan Worley committed to Penn State, joining Maryland commit Tyler Burke in the Big Ten. Colin Raysor committed to Lafayette, Devonte Suber to California University of Pennsylvania, Titus Richards to Wagner, and Darrik Muroski to the University of Rhode Island.

Parents and coaches were present for pictures while Interim Supt. Leonard Fitts, CASH Principal Robert Fisher, and Head Coach Matt Ortega offered congratulations and encouragement for the next level.

Tyler Burke and Darrik Maroski sit in front of their coaches.

“We will be following you. We expect great things. Don’t hesitate to reach back to us,” said Fitts, advising the students that they should reach out to former teachers, counselors, and coaches if they ever need help in the future.

Fisher made sure to emphasize that the day was about more than just football.

“It starts with the educators in their lives,” he said. He also thanked the parents for raising the young men in a way that would cause them to succeed. “We are truly grateful for you,” he told them.

Fisher also noted that with tuition and room and board, the six students earned a combined $894,000 in scholarships, bringing the number over $2 million since 2009.

Like any good coach, Ortega offered words of motivation for continued success.

“Don’t take it for granted, don’t cheat the game,” he said. “You’ll always be part of the Red Raider family.”

After listening to their elders with attentive respect, the students’ excitement started to show as they posed for pictures, received congratulations from parents, and even talked a little trash to each other.

“The Saturday games, the atmosphere, all the students coming out, that’s what I’m mostly looking forward to,” said Burke.

Much of that excitement came from the fact that Wednesday was the culmination of months of listening to offers, weighing options, and considering athletic and academic futures.

“As soon as the recruiting process began, it was fun, but as it carried on, it got stressful,” said Suber. “My number one factor was my comfort level. A couple other factors were the way they play defense — I’ll be a part of the defense — and the school itself is a very prestigious academic school.”

Daquan Worley and Devonte Suber sign their letters of intent.

Raysor also considered his comfort level on campus and the school’s academic prestige among the top priorities in selecting a school.

“I picked Lafayette because Coach Ortega always told me you go onto the campus, and you feel that’s the place,” he said. “The academic support they have there is second to none, and the quality of football is outstanding; they’re Patriot League Champions this year, so I’m going into a really good program and an even better school.”

Ortega said that while he advised his players on how to handle the recruiting process and gave them tips on selecting a school, the students came to their decisions individually.

“The athlete and the parents have to decipher all that information and make the best decision on the family,” he said. “The only thing I do is help them decide on who’s the most interested.”

Ortega stressed that much of the process — both recruiting and being on the field over the past four years — comes down to the work ethic of the student. He just tries to cultivate a program that will allow his players to succeed.

“They all took academics seriously. It was probably the easiest group in terms of keeping them focused throughout their career,” he said. “It’s a great environment for a student-athlete to develop in. It’s who we are; it’s what we are. This is what we’re good at, and we’re doing it on the field and off the field.”

Worley said that in making his decision, he looked for a school with a positive environment similar to the one fostered by the athletic department at Coatesville.

“Being at Coatesville helped me prepare because you meet so many different people; it’s so diverse here, and nobody has bad blood,” he said. “On the football field, you’re my brother, and in class, we all helped each other out, and that’s what I recognized at Penn State.”

Worley also said that while Coatesville has created a brotherhood among players, there will be certain situations where he will not be rooting for the guys he played high school ball with.

“That’s my boy, but next year, we’re going to see,” he said of playing against Burke in the Big Ten. “I’m going to give him a hug after the game and tell him ‘good game,’ but in between the lines, it’s on.”

Burke was undeterred.

“Oh yeah, we’ll beat him.”