By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

As national signing day came and went, a trio of LaGrange High football players were playing the waiting game.

While a lot of players opt to put their names on the dotted line on signing day, others make the decision to wait and see, realizing that sometimes it’s better to wait than to make the commitment before they’re ready.

For Laracco Glaze, Myles Johnson and Mondarius Beasley, the decision to wait was the right one.

The wait ended for those three last week as they made it official by signing their letters of intent.

Glaze signed with Thomas More University in Kentucky, Myles Johnson signed with Faulkner University in Alabama, and Beasley signed with Kentucky Wesleyan.

The three Grangers made it official during a signing celebration last week in the LaGrange High media center, with friends, teammates, family members and coaches there to enjoy the moment with them.

Glaze, a running back, has been pursued by the coaches from Thomas More since late in 2018.

“The coaches, they came and talked to me personally at the school in December,” Glaze said. “They were pretty much my top school. I could have signed with them on signing day, but I wanted to wait until I got to visit the school. When I visited, I knew it was the right school.”

Glaze had other options, but he felt Thomas More was the right fit.

“I had preferred walk-ons to bigger schools, but I wasn’t concerned with the school size,” More said. “I wanted to go to a place that I felt comfortable.”

Glaze also wanted to go somewhere where he’d have an opportunity to compete for playing time at running back and not have to change positions.

“I don’t mind playing corner back, but I wanted to play running back,” Glaze said.

Glaze added that “I’m just going to buy in, do what the coaches tell me to do, and get my degree, too.”

For Johnson, waiting paid major dividends.

“This opportunity, it came after signing day,” said Johnson, who was a running back and corner back for the Grangers. “That was the main reason I waited. This came along, and it fit perfectly for me. It felt like it was the right decision.”

Johnson said getting the chance to play college football “means a lot to me”

“I worked hard these past four years, and I’ve got the opportunity to continue to do what I love to do, and getting a degree is important for me too,” Johnson said.

Beasley, a cornerback, felt comfortable when he visited Kentucky Wesleyan.

“I feel like it’s a family,” Beasley said. “I feel like I fit in really well.”

While Beasley, Johnson and Glaze didn’t enjoy as much success as they’d hoped for, they did look back on their senior seasons with pride.

While the Grangers finished 2-8, they were in nearly every game.

LaGrange closed the season with a come-from-behind 16-14 win over the Shaw Raiders at Callaway Stadium.

“It was a good feeling, because we got to win our last high-school game,” Beasley said.

Added Johnson, “I took a lot of pride in staying in the game, always fighting to the end, win or lose.”

Glaze felt the final game against Shaw was a reflection of the never-quit attitude of the players.

“We were in almost every game,” Glaze said. “I think that last game kind of summarized it for us. We didn’t give up.”