By T. Scott Boatright
They struck together through middle and high school in the classroom and the baseball field together.
That close bond strengthened even more on Monday as Choudrant seniors Landon Hennen, Bryce McGuire and Gavin Murphy took the stage together inside the school auditorium in front of their coaches, families and teammates to sign scholarship papers to continue their baseball careers on the collegiate level.
And two of the Aggies will stick together after graduation as McGuire and Murphy both signed with Southern Arkansas Community College in El Dorado while Hennen will play a little farther northwest at National Park Junior College in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
“This is a big day for these young men and their families,” said Choudrant High School Principal Chris Jones. “And looking across this room, it’s a great day for our program. I’ve been here eight years and this is the first time we’ve signed multiple athletes out of a program to scholarships.
“That says a lot about the hard work they’ve put in and you guys have put in.”
Jones spoke of the trio’s connection through the years, on the field and in Choudrant classrooms.
“ They’ve played T-ball, travel ball and for the school since they were little, and today is a great reflection on their parents. I pulled up their school information this morning and none of these three guys have gotten any kind of major referrals since seventh grade. I’m not sure I could even find a tardy for any of them. They’ve been exemplary students as far as their behavior and being great students in the classroom. They’ve set great examples for our younger students and have been really great leaders.”
First-year CHS head coach Joel Antley, who also coached the trio for years as an assistant coach for the Aggies, first lauded their academic abilities.
“Not only are they signing to continue their playing careers, they are also continuing their academic careers, and they are excellent students,” Antley said. “Whatever you’ve needed from these dudes in the classroom, they have achieved it.
“As of right now, Bryce’s GPA is a 4.24, Gavin’s is a 4.15 and Landon’s is a 4.04. That is remarkable when you consider the time they spend not in the classroom. These guys have worked as hard or harder than anybody we’ve ever had.”
Then Antley talked about what the trio means to the Aggies on the field.
“As leaders, they were our one through three hitters last year during our state championship run and our No. 1 and 2 pitcher and our catcher, so they were the battery for our state championship team,” Antley said. “And now they’re back for their senior years and doing the same thing. They’ve done some things that haven’t been done here in Choudrant – they’ve won two state championships in a row, and right now they’re sitting No. 1 in our division looking to make it another unprecedented three in a row.
“And I can’t take any of the credit because of the hours they put in – that has to be an ingrained thing in themselves to try to be the best they can be. And they have done it fantastically for five years ever since I met them in the seventh grade.”
Former CHS coach and principal Tony Antley, who retired as baseball coach last summer and as principal in January, was also on hand to speak.
“They’ve earned many accolades, are great players and are great young men,” Tony Antley said. “But without a team, none of that would have happened. And they know that. But they’ve also set a high standard for what comes next.
“The work ethic these guys have probably started when they were 5 years old playing Little League and Dixie baseball, then travel baseball and all the other things. They missed a lot of other things they could have been doing throughout summertime and times after school because of the goal they set for themselves and have achieved.”
Murphy, the catcher out of the trio, said earning a spot on the South Ark baseball team is a dream come true.
“It’s a great program and I really like the coach and all the players,” Murphy said. “The coach knows what he’s doing and how to win ball games.”
But for now Murphy is focused on the task at hand as an Aggie – vying for a third straight state title.
“It’s going to take a lot of hard work over the next couple of weeks and not thinking ahead but taking each game one-by-one,” Murphy said. “Everybody wants to beat us, but we really don’t feel a whole lot of pressure. If we go out there and play our game, nobody can beat us.”
McGuire will pitch and play shortstop at South Ark as he’s done at Choudrant.
“After playing since I was 4 years old, it’s pretty exciting knowing I get to continue playing in college and live out my dream,” McGuire said.
“It’s pretty nice – we’ve all been playing together since we were little, and it’s cool to be able to sign with my two best friends to play college baseball. And getting to continue to play with Gavin will be great. He’s been my catcher since I was 9 years old, so we’ve got a pretty tight connection.”
Hennen, a pitcher and utility player who can play any position needed, signing with McGuire and Murphy was especially meaningful.
“We’ve come a long way together, so it means a lot,” Hennen said. “We’ve played together our whole lives. We’ve always been competitive with each other. So doing it with them feels right.
“Since I was growing up being at the Choudrant games as a kid, I always looked up to the players and wanted to be out there. I never thought I would be the one the little guys are watching and admiring. It just feels really blessed to be there and do this.”
