5 Westside Players Make College Decisions

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Five different players from one Macon school made their college decisions final Wednesday.

Westside High School will keep four of those players in the Peach State while one will move north to Tennessee.

They almost couldn’t fit them all behind one table.

The five young men have spent the last four years making their coach a proud man.

“I’m just so happy at the right choices that they’ve made,’ says head coach Sheddrick Risper.  “(Now) they’re able to move on to the next level.”

Quarterback Noah Grayer will take his talents to Reinhardt University in Waleska.

“I’m very happy that everybody came out and supported me,” says Grayer.  “My family, my coaches, my friends, they stuck with me through thick and thin.”

Defensive back Kimball Magee and D-Tackle Brian Whitaker are both going to West Georgia, where their head coach played in the 90s.

“(It) felt like home,” says Whitaker.  “Felt a good vibe.  Football was great.  Everything was great.”

“I became a man at West Georgia and hopefully these guys will take the same things that they’re trying to teach up there right now into their lives,” says Risper.

“I see the great man that he is and hopefully I’ll get to that point one day,” says Magee.

D-Tackle Jalen Lawrence chose Georgia State out of a long list of offers.

“Man, it’s nothing but love,” says Lawrence.  “They love me and I love them.  I love the campus.  I love everything about it.”

And rounding out “Westside’s 5” was wide receiver Shannon Smith.

Smith fliipped his commitment from Troy to Middle Tennessee State after his visit to Murfreesboro late last month.

“When I went on my visit to Middle Tennessee, they showed me a great time,” says Smith.  “They have great coaches.  All the players showed me a great time.  They have a great academic program and I feel like I can do big things there.”

Coach Risper says that many guys signing isn’t that much out of the ordinary for Westside High.