11 Columbus athletes commit to college of choice

With graduation looming in the distance 11 Columbus High School senior student-athletes put pen to paper to commit to the college of their choice on Monday, May 13.

Of the 11 athletes, six of them were football players, three were softball players, one volleyball player and one was a cross-country runner.

“I am very proud of each of these athletes. They worked extremely hard and represented our programs the right way,” Columbus Athletic Director Matt Schobel said. “I wish each of them the best of luck at the next level.”

Leading off the signings was Ella Berger who has committed to playing softball Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas. Berger is a big piece of the Lady Cards softball team both on the field and in the classroom.

She started at 3rd base every game for the Lady Cards and is a three-year letterman in softball.

Next up was Ellie Brown, who will continue her softball career at nationally ranked McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. Brown was a four-year letterman for the Columbus Lady Cards softball team and was a 1st team All-District catcher.

She started every game as a catcher for the Lady Cards over the last three seasons and her presence along with Berger’s were a huge reason why the Lady Cards won over 100 games in the last few seasons.

Taylor Morrow was the third signee for Columbus, and she committed to playing beach volleyball at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor. Morrow is finishing her Lady Card volleyball career with 860 kills and 540 digs.

In addition to that she also helped the Lady Cards to two State Semi-Finals appearances, a Regional Finals appearance, was named the District 25-3A MVP and earned All-State honors this season.

Camdon Pitchford was the next athlete to sign on Monday and he committed to continue playing football at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. Pitchford played a major role in the Columbus Cardinals winning their first ever State Championship in football this season.

In his senior season Pitchford set a school record with 87 receptions this year, with those 87 receptions he racked up 1,205 yards and 21 touchdowns to cap off his senior year.

Mia Post was the fifth on the list and she will be continuing her softball career at the Concordia University in Austin, Texas. Post was another fouryear letterman for the Lady Cards softball who helped the team achieve 100 wins over the last four years.

She helped lead the Lady Cards to two consecutive Regional Finals and two District Championships. She was 1st team All-District as an outfielder as a freshman, 1st team All-District infielder as a sophomore and 1st team All-District pitcher as a junior. Post finished her Lady Card career with 250 strike outs.

Next up was Grayson Rigdon, who committed to playing football at Arizona State University. He attended Columbus for only one year but made a huge impact. As a running back he helped the Cards reach and win their first ever State Championship title this season. This was Rigdon’s fourth football State Championship in his career as he won a State Championship every year he was in high School.

In his senior year Rigdon recorded a total of 2,322 scrimmage yards (rushing and receiving) and scored 42 touchdowns. He was named to the 1st team All-District team and earned All-State honors.

The lone cross-country runner, Chloe Ross, was next to commit to the college of her choice and she will be attending Blinn College in Brenham, Texas. In her sophomore and junior years, she made it to the State Cross Country Meet and was selected to the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star Team as a junior and the Texas High School Coaches Association’s Academic All-State Team.

Next up was a highly anticipated signing as Adam Schobel, Mr. Texas High School Football has committed to playing football at Texas Christian University. Schobel was the quarterback for the Cardinals for four years and helped lead the Cardinals to their first ever State Championship this season.

In his time as the Field General for the Cards he threw 11,196 yards and 149 touchdowns. In his senior season he threw for 3,743 yards and 54 touchdowns, in the State Title game he threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 37 yards and a touchdown.

Next up was Adam’s cousin, John Schobel, who also committed to playing football at Texas Christian University. John was a huge part of the Cardinals defense in 2024 and made several big plays during the playoffs finishing his senior season with 196 tackles and 12 sacks.

He helped lead the Cards to a 49-7 record during his time at Columbus, was a three-time All-State selection and was named the Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.

The tenth athlete to sign was Anthony Shorter who will be continuing his career at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Shorter was a three-year starter for the Cards and was a key leader on the team.

His 2024 season was cut short because of a knee injury but Shorter still showed up every day and fulfilled his role as team captain. He was with his teammates every step of the way and was a big part of the Cardinals capturing their first ever State Championship in 2024.

Elijah Usher was the eleventh athlete at the signing ceremony, and he will be continuing his football career at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas. Usher was a two-year starter at Columbus and this season he racked up 609 yards and caught nine touchdowns.

He made several big plays on both sides of the ball this season for the Cardinals and earned a spot on both the offensive and defensive All-District teams.

Congratulations to all of the athletes that signed and good luck at the next level.