Warren Central had 10 football players participate in national signing day on Wednesday, as they announced where they plan to continue their athletic and academic careers.

Cornerback Shakee Shaw led the way by signing with Jackson State. He was the only Warren Central player to sign with a four-year school, although defensive lineman Caleb Boyett (Southern Miss) and wide receiver Terrell Roby (Alcorn State) accepted walk-on offers.

Offensive lineman Malcolm Miller signed with Jones County Junior College, offensive lineman Lynn McCay with Southwest Mississippi, and running back Joe Shorter with Hinds. Running back Demarcus Jones and tight end Nathan Hearn signed with Northwest Mississippi.

Two players, quarterback Jesse Wilson and offensive lineman Trajan Winters, signed with Holmes County Community College in Goodman. The two are looking forward to playing together again.

“I’ve got my quarterback with me,” Winters said.

Winters, a 6-foot-1, 260-pound guard, also was attracted to Holmes because of its running offense. He plans to continue playing right guard, and his smallish size fits perfectly with the team’s scheme. Holmes runs a double-wing offense that relies on small, quick linemen who are able to pull and get to the edge to block.

“Athletically it’s a good fit for me,” Winters said. “They run the ball.”

Wilson said it was an added bonus to have Winters there with him. The quarterback also chose Holmes because of its offensive scheme.

“I like their offense and the coaches,” he said. “It felt like home.”

Wilson feels like the teachers and coaches at Holmes will push him and motivate him to do the best he can in the classroom and on the field.

“I’ll just return the favor and show them respect and show them I care about my work,” he said.

Holmes isn’t the only school getting two Warren Central players. Jones and Hearn will both be attending Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia.

Hearn said Northwest Mississippi was a good fit for him. He likes the campus and has had friends who have attended the school give him positive feedback.

Hearn, who is still recovering from a knee injury suffered early last season, will “gray shirt” by waiting until next January to enroll at Northwest.

“They say it’s a good campus to be on. It’s beautiful,” Hearn said.

A tight end and long snapper, Hearn hopes to play the same positions at Northwest. He’s glad to have Jones on the team with him.

“(It’s nice) to have somebody I know,” he said.

Jones agreed. He said the school and the football program are a great fit for him.

“It felt like another home, and they like winning,” Jones said.

Jones, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound tailback and cornerback, said he feels he will be pushed academically to keep up his grade point average and athletically he feels like he can make a difference for the team.

“They said I would start, and I should make a big impact,” Jones said.

McCay will head to the opposite end of the state by attending Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit. He said Southwest Mississippi had shown interest in him early, which attracted him to the program.

“I love the campus,” McCay said.

Shaw signed with Jackson State. He feels like the school will be a good fit for him and said it was a welcoming place. He’s looking forward to the Tigers’ road trip to Football Bowl Subdivision opponent TCU in the 2017 season opener.

“I’m looking forward to when we play TCU,” Shaw said.

Shorter stayed closer to home by signing with Hinds Community College in Raymond. He felt the school has great academics, and it was a great place to be, especially for athletes.

“I just like the atmosphere and the coaches,” Shorter said. “It felt like Warren Central.”

Shorter feels it is the right place to take him to the next level and he is looking forward to being able to play in his first year. The high school tailback said he might change positions.

“I might play both sides, but mostly I’m going to play defense,” he said.

Jones County Junior College in Ellisville will get Malcolm Miller. The 6-foot-2, 270-pound offensive lineman said the school has a lot to offer.

“I just fell in love with the campus, the education and they’ve got a good football program,” he said.

Miller felt the school would set him up for success both academically and athletically. He said he would get to start.

“It resembled why I play here, it’s a family,” Miller said.

The defensive lineman Boyett will walk on at Southern Miss, and Alcorn State will get walk-on receiver Terrell Roby.

Roby said he has wanted to go to Alcorn for some time.

“I’ve been going there ever since my sister’s been going, and I’ve been a ball boy for seven years,” he said. “I love the school.”

Roby will be a preferred walk-on, and he said he’ll continue playing wide receiver.

Boyett said his parents attended Mississippi State, but after one visit to Southern Miss he knew it was where he belonged. Even though his parents aren’t alumni, his grandfather is and he also played football for the Golden Eagles.

“I just fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere,” Boyett said. “Everybody is real nice.”

The 5-foot-11, 215-pound defensive end said he doubts he will play the same position in college because of his size, and thinks he could be moved to outside linebacker or to the secondary.

Boyett appreciated the opportunity to walk on with the football team, and is looking forward to majoring in kinesiology.

“I want to become an athletic trainer and maybe go back and be a physical therapist after that,” Boyett said. “They offer the classes to help me do that.”