One of the signs of success for any high school athletic program is the ability to send their student/athletes on to the next level and the Manchester High School football program will be doing just that as Greyhounds senior offensive lineman Gabe Horsley recently signed his letter of intent to continue his football career at Heidelberg University.

In a ceremony held at the high school on Feb. 11, family, friends, and school officials gathered as Horsley made it official, announcing his intent to join the Student Princes football program for the 2016 season.

Horsley described to The Defender how he came to choose Heidelberg as his college football choice.

“I was at a college fair one night,” explained the Manchester senior. “I just saw Heidelberg there and it looked like a nice college. I went and talked to them and decided to make a visit and got in touch with their football coach, sent them some video highlights from last season, and they liked what they saw. They invited me for an overnight stay and asked me if I wanted to commit and I did.”

Horsley plans to study History Education with the hopes of someday becoming a History teacher.

Solid offensive lineman are an integral part of any high school football program and Manchester head coach Dustin Cook was glowing in his praise for the work that Horsley had done as a Greyhound.

“Gabe is a remarkable young man, both in the classroom and definitely on the football field,” said Coach Cook. “He is a great example of the student/athlete and he is without a doubt the most coachable kid that I have ever been around and because he is so coachable, the growth that he has been able to make these last four years has been outstanding.”

“Gabe has been our stability on the offensive line and we are going to miss him but we know that he will be very successful at Heidelberg and they are very lucky to have someone like him who is going to give it his all every day, doing anything and everything the coaches ask him to do to get better.”

The Heidelberg “Student Princes” are a Division III football program and a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. In 2015, they finished 5-5 with wins over Otterbein, Marietta, Wilmington, Capital, and Muskingum.

Because of NCAA regulations, head coach Scott Donaldson was not able to comment for this story.

Present at the signing ceremony on Feb. 11 at Manchester High School were: Front row, from left, Melinda Horsley (mother), Alex Horsley (brother), Gabe Horsley, and Elvis Horsley (father); Jamie Wilkins, MHS Principal, Dustin Cook, MHS Head Football Coach, and Chris Young, MHS Athletic Director.
https://www.peoplesdefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Horsley.jpgPresent at the signing ceremony on Feb. 11 at Manchester High School were: Front row, from left, Melinda Horsley (mother), Alex Horsley (brother), Gabe Horsley, and Elvis Horsley (father); Jamie Wilkins, MHS Principal, Dustin Cook, MHS Head Football Coach, and Chris Young, MHS Athletic Director. Mark Carpenter | People’s Defender
Manchester lineman headed to Division III

By Mark Carpenter

mcarpenter@civitasmedia.com

Reach Mark Carpenter at 937-544-2391 or on twitter @adamscosports.