Signing Day Diary: Hillsborough

Times staff writer Joe Smith will trek all around Hillsborough County for national signing day, catching the sights - and sounds - at cermonies at several schools on high school football's biggest day.

Stop Three: Hillsborough

Leave it to Hillsborough senior Moses McCray to give signing day some drama.

The highly-touted defensive lineman, who had orally committed to Florida State before the season then appeared to waffle as the fall led to winter, opened up the Terriers signing day conference with a bit of a joke.

McCray had two hats - a bright orange Florida hat and a Florida State hat his late father, Ralph used to wear.

McCray first put on the Florida hat, drawing gasps (and later laughs) from the crowd - including his mother, Vanessa.

"When he put on that Gator hat, he scared me," she said.

McCray, who admitted he was just "trying to have fun," soon put on the red FSU cap, which fit perfectly. He said he was "honored" to wear the same hat as his father, whom Vanessa said would have always wanted Moses to land at FSU.

"It was always a strong (commitment)," McCray said. "I just wanted to see my options."

McCray is coming off an emotional week; he had to drive his mother to the hospital last week after she suffered a mild stroke. Vanessa, who used a cane at Wednesday's ceremony, said "I just pray it's my last."

It was a family affair at the Hillsborough auditorium. Eleven Terriers sat at a huge conference table, all signing with different schools. Seven are going to the College of the Siskiyous, a junior college in California.

Senior linebacker Marc Thomas will be reunited with his brother, former Terriers star Ricky Ponton, at Georgia Southern. The two will live together on campus, fulfilling a "dream that we'd be able to play together," Thomas said.

The one surprise was that defensive back Eric Fennell didn't sign with Siskiyous; Terriers coach Earl Garcia said Fennell received an offer from Murray State, and is just waiting on test scores. But it was a banner day for the program, with Chuck Grace (FIU), Andreas Ashwood (Toledo) also highlighting a near-record class.

Nine more than last year. That meant a larger sheet cake and more punch for the party.

Joked Garcia: "We could have done ours last year in a shoebox."

-- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Times photos by Kathleen Flynn. From top to bottom, Hillsborough senior Moses McCray tricks the crowd by first putting on a Gator hat, then putting on one for Florida State, where he signed with Wednesday.