Three Worth County athletes sign with colleges

SYLVESTER — Colby Bearden admits that he could do without the fanfare, the interviews and all the accolades that come with signing a scholarship.

But after he made a quick speech to introduce his favorite teacher, he said things weren’t so bad.

Bearden was one of three Worth County High School athletes to sign an athletic scholarship Monday morning. He signed a soccer scholarship with Georgia Southwestern, while football standouts Markees Jones and Adrian McCaleb signed scholarships with West Hill College in Coalinga, Calif.

“I don’t want (people) to feel like I’m bragging or anything like that,” Bearden said after his signing. “I just always want to stay humble.”

Worth County coaches described Bearden as a fiery player who has been successful on the field as well as in the class room. Bearden said his position is midfielder, but Georgia Southwestern will be getting a player who has played just about every position.

He said the opportunity to stay close to home was too good to pass up, and he fell in love with the campus after a visit to Americus.

“I’ve always had a good work-ethic,” he said. “If you are going to do something, it’s worth doing well. There is no reason to do a half job. I always want to make sure I give 100 percent.”

While Bearden will keep his talents in southwest Georgia, Jones and McCaleb aren’t. They will continue their football careers on the other side of the country.

“I wanted to get out of Sylvester and make my coach and the community proud,” Jones said.

Head football coach Jason Tone spoke highly of Jones’ work-ethic. After tearing his MCL during the 2015 season, the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder had surgery and rebounded to earn a scholarship.

The senior defensive lineman overcame his injury to continue his career.

“I knew it was going to be hard for me to come back,” Jones said. “But I worked hard, came back and was a stronger person for it.”

McCaleb, a 5-11, 165-pound defensive back left his mark in the Worth County secondary. He said playing across the country is going to take some adjusting, but he and Jones will be fine.

“It’s going to be kind of scary at first,” he said. “But I have to keep my head up and stay focused on what I’m doing.”