When South Aiken High soccer coach Paul Waters passed out forms this fall asking his players to identify their future college plans, Jose Mireles Jr. gave a simple answer - none. Thanks to his skills on the pitch, though, things have changed for the 5-foot-6, 123-pound senior. His abilities as a defender on last year's Class AAA state champion team drew some interest from college coaches, and on Tuesday he made his new plans official when he signed a letter of intent with USC Salkehatchie.
"It feels good," said an excited Mireles before the ink had even dried. "I never thought I was going to go to college. It's a good school, and I think I'll get along well with the team. It's a great opportunity, and I hope I can get a degree and go on to a four-year college. I have to get bigger and communicate more on the field."Waters has seen plenty of signings in his career - more than 30 over the last five years - but Tuesday's event was something special."He was really worried about going to college, and we kept pushing him to different schools," said the Thoroughbred coach. "
One (USC Salkehatchie) decided to come watch him play, and he had a great game. They decided to take him there on the spot. This is a proud moment for him and his family, and it is a big deal for our program."He's not very big, but he's very smart. He's a great defender, and we can play him at almost any defensive spot. He's a coachable kid, and his confidence keeps growing."Mireles and the T-Breds will be on the road today at North Myrtle Beach in the second round of the Class AAA playoffs, hoping to make a run at repeating as champions."We're excited," said Waters. "We're playing with some confidence, and we're injury-free. We'll just have to see where it takes us."
