Late last month, eight Pioneer High School student-athletes committed to continuing their athletic careers at the next level during the school’s now-annual signing night.

Girls who signed on the night were the softball quartet of Jia Beebe, who signed on for Sacramento City College, Ashley Gruben, who signed on to play for Southwest Baptist University, Sofia Hernandez, who signed on for Cornell University, and Abril Parker, who signed on for UC Davis. Swimmer Josephine Brant signed on for Texas Christian University.

On the boys’ side, football player Diego Preciado signed on for American River College, while the baseball duo of Drew Van Court and Jack Selfridge signed on for Pepperdine University and Butte College, respectively.

Preciado served as an anchor on the offensive line for the Patriots’ high-volume running game, lining up at both tackle and guard. He helped lead the team to a 5-5 overall record, going 2-4 in their Monticello Empire League debut.

“He was an anchor on our offensive line,” Pioneer head football coach Matt Bryson said. “He was a big, versatile kid who moved around the offensive line a lot. He could play tackle or guard for us, and we could even ask him to snap if needed. He and Angel Lopez Roa played on our strong side, and that’s the side we wanted to attack in the run game.”

While the step up from high school to community college could be daunting, Byrson is confident he has everything he needs to stick at the next level.

“He has a lot of great attributes that will give him a chance,” Bryson said. “He is very intelligent and a hard worker who has a great competitive spirit. We have sent a handful of kids to the next level, and typically, you have to wait your turn. If he’s prepared to put in time, he’s going to have a chance. You can’t teach his size.

“I’m intrigued to see where he plays due to his versatility. I’m not familiar with that level of game as a coach, but I think he might slide into the interior line. ARC is known for taking linemen and producing next-level kids, so I’m hoping he goes there and has success.”

On the baseball diamond, Selfridge and Van Court helped lead the Patriots to a share of the Monticello Empire League championship alongside Rodriguez. What made the achievement more impressive was that it was the Patriots’ debut season in the more competitive league, which also featured Vanden, Vacaville, River City, and Wood.

Van Court was dominant as a pitcher and hitter for the Patriots. From the mound, he amassed 35.2 innings pitched, only walking 19, and striking out an absurd 57 batters. At the plate, Van Court was second in the team in RBI (17), doubles (6) and hits (25), while also scoring 14 runs.

“Drew has been on varsity since he was a freshman, so the four years of his work for the program solidified his name in the lineup,” Patriots head baseball coach Craig Marquez said. “It’s tough to do that as a freshman. To be a staple on the mound for us all four years goes to show his dedication and hard work and how he goes about the game.”

Selfridge, who caught plenty of innings from Van Court as the catcher, finished third on the team in plate appearances (81), fifth in hits (15) and runs (15), and sixth in RBI (10).

“He was back and forth as a sophomore since we had a few catchers, but the past two years, Jack was a great, solid spot in the middle of our lineup,” Marquez said. “He was a great role model for the younger kids and came out to practice hard every day.”

“Best of luck to both of those kids. It’s fun to see kids go off to college,” Marquez continued. “I experienced it. I always tell the kids to play as long as you can, because the game of baseball tells you when you can’t play anymore.”

This is the first in a series. The story of the Pioneer High School girls will be released next week.