Pepperell High's Dakota Ball signs with Alabama

 

Standing Left to right: coach, Joey Mathis; coach, Joe Knight; principal, Phil Ray; brother, Camaron Ball; coach, Judson Cox; head coach, Jeff Shiflett. Seated Left to Right: grandmother, Montine Ball; mother, Lynn Ball; Dakota Ball; father, Phillip Ball and brother, Elijah Ball.

 

Media release: Dakota Ball, a senior defensive lineman for Pepperell High School, made it official today that his college of choice is the University of Alabama.  Ball signed his letter of intent Wednesday morning in the Pepperell High media center surrounded by family, friends, Dragon fans and Crimson Tide supporters.   February 1 is national signing day for high school athletes across the country to select where they will go to school and hopefully play football in the national spotlight.  The lights will not get much brighter than in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide plays on fall Saturday afternoons.  Ball was the thirteenth high school athlete to sign today with the University of Alabama.

Ball was a standout defender playing for the Pepperell Dragons in 2011.  He compiled 85 tackles, seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 38 quarterback hurries and forced three fumbles for the season.  He was named to the First Team defense on the GSWA All-State Team and he was selected as the Rome News Tribune Defensive Co-Player of the Year.  Ball ranked in the top 25 on ESPNU's top 100 defensive tackles for the 2012 season.   The Pepperell High defensive lineman was selected to play in the Under Armor All-American football game last month at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Ball was the first Rome/Floyd County player to be selected to compete in the game and just the second area player selected to participate in the game that was nationally televised on ESPN. 

 

Ball is also an outstanding student at Pepperell High with a cumulative GPA over 3.8.  He has received an award for Academic Honors (GPA 90.0 and above) each year in high school, along with numerous excellence awards in individual subjects.  Ball was Pepperell High School's male representative to the NAIA Breakfast of Champions for the 2010 year and he was the 2011 PHS male nominee for the Rome/Floyd Sports Hall of Fame Award