Vancleave High School sending four to the next level

In 2021, Vancleave High School was home to the state’s second-leading rusher Dayan Bilbo. In 2022, the Bulldogs replaced one workhorse back with another in the form of John Peterson, who proceeded to win the state rushing title en route to fulfilling his collegiate football dreams.

The former News 25 Student Athlete of the Week joined at the National Signing Day table by two of his senior teammates Jones College signee Alan Grimme and Belhaven signee Ethan Davis.

Peterson, and his more than 2,600 yards, signed with Mississippi College, where he committed just about a week ago.

Together, the three dog soldiers played key roles in Vancleave’s first eight-win season in 12 years thanks to a first-round playoff upset at Hattiesburg.

Last, but certainly not least, Corinne Cason and her two state championships also signing with Belhaven to play volleyball on the back of a senior season in which she was fourth in the state in service aces. Grimme said, “Oh yeah, this is definitely something, something out of this world. Never thought it would be like this.”

Davis said, “It really feels great to feel like all of my work has paid off, and I’ve opened up a new road for my future.”

Cason said, “It was like, I wasn’t expecting it. I thought it was just like, okay, I’m going to the next level. But once we did it, it just kind of rushed and I was really excited, putting in a realization that I was going to the next level, when most people really don’t.”

Peterson said, “They all were recruiting me at the same time, and the thing that made it hard was the coaches. Every coach I talked to was a good coach. They were a coach I’d want to be around. But the thing Mississippi College made it different, it was their whole coaching staff and the campus and just everything about them just took me away and I was 100 percent in, ready to rock.”

These four student-athletes have a combined GPA of 3.7.