Athens Review, Athens, Texas

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  • Athens senior Michael Thompson (seated, at right) signs a National Letter of Intent to attend classes and play football at Texas College in Tyler. Thompson is pictured with his mother, Delania Thompson, and Athens head football coach and athletic director Paul Essary. Courtesy photo

    Thompson signs with Texas College

  • Athens senior Zabdiel Mota (seated, at center) signs a National Letter of Intent to attend classes and play football at Texas College in Tyler. Mota is pictured with his mother, Sandra Mota, his sister, Kassandra Mota, his brother, Juan Mota and Athens head football coach and athletic director Paul Essary. Courtesy photo

    Zabdiel Mota signs with Texas College

  • Athens senior Nick Monmouth (seated, at center) signs a National Letter of Intent to attend classes and play football at Texas College in Tyler. Monmouth is pictured with his father, James Monmouth, his mother, Alicia Johnson and Athens head football coach and athletic director Paul Essary. Courtesy photo

    Nick Monmouth signs with Texas College

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May 19, 2011

AHS trio signs with Texas College

The Athens Review

ATHENS — The turnstile from Athens High School to the collegiate level just keeps on twirling.

Three more Hornets have signed National Letters of Intent to play at the college level, and all three are headed in the same direction.

Nick Monmouth, Michael Thompson and Zabdiel Mota will continue their academic and athletic careers next year at Texas College in Tyler.

Each athlete played a significant role in the Hornets’ record-breaking 11-3 football season last fall. The Hornets made the regional finals for the first time in school history.

Thompson, a first-team Athens Review/Cedar Creek Pilot All-Henderson County linebacker, recorded 10 sacks and collected 93 tackles last season. He also forced three fumbles and recovered two more.

Mota was also a first-team All-Henderson County selection, but as a kicker. He hit all three of his field goal attempts, including one from 40 yards. But it was his impeccable accuracy on extra points that put him in the state record books.

He was 80 for 80 on extra-point attempts, which marks the fifth-most consecutive PATs made in Texas high school football history.

Monmouth was a standout on both sides of the football for the Hornets. The speedy defensive back made 91 tackles to go along with two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

But he also settled in well in a reserve running back role. He rushed for 423 yards and five touchdowns — an effort that included a number of huge carries when the team’s primary running back, Kendall Sanders, went down with an injury during the playoffs.

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