Catholic athletics sends three to the college ranks
Three Catholic Knights signed scholarships on Monday including Anna Russo, Ellis O’Conner and Cayden Dees. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
Catholic held its spring signing day in the gym on Monday and each of the athletes honored had a unique journey to signing day that could have easily derailed their path to college.
“It was really eye opening,” said Ellis O’Connor, who overcame torn knee ligaments on two occasions to sign with the United States Coast Guard Academy on Monday. “For a long time, I didn’t think I’d be able to sit here today and do this. For the past two years, playing flag football and running track to stay conditioned, it was really a decision of whether I would come back and play soccer this season and for a while I didn’t think I was going to.”
O’Connor, Cayden Dees and Anna Russo all enjoyed the signing ceremony on Monday, grateful they had the support to keep pushing them to their ultimate goal of continuing their playing career in the collegiate ranks.
Dees, the 2025 Capital City Conference Player of the Year, had to settle on a collegiate choice after initially electing to commit to Tulane, only to see Green Wave coach Jon Sumrall accept the head coaching position at the University of Florida.
“Even though there are different coaches coming through and others leaving, it’s still the same program,” Dees said. “Even though this coach left, it’s still a program that’s successful. When I was recruited, there was already speculation that coach Sumrall was leaving. But even before he was there, Tulane was a program that produced. The new coaches immediately came to build a relationship with me.”
Dees said the constant contact from new head coach Will Hall was an important step in remaining committed to the Green Wave and in this age of the transfer portal, Dees said he could see himself as a Tulane football player four years from now.
“I could be there for four years,” Dees said. “It’s all about how I can be developed to go to the (National Football) League because I have aspirations to play in the league. The (transfer) portal is big and has a lot of opportunities, but I’m not going to be one and done and I’m getting out of here. That’s not what I’m looking for from this program.”
He was a two-way player in high school out of necessity, but is looking forward to concentrating on the defensive side of the ball in college.
“I’m excited,” Dees said. “I really don’t have words to describe it. Everybody’s asking me what are your plans, knowing you’re going to be playing one position. It’s all the way or none. I have aspirations of being a Freshman All-American and knowing that I’m going to be in a program that’s going to develop me for what I have goals for, I’m overly excited.”
Russo injured her knee late in the 2025 soccer season, costing her an opportunity at playing time in flag football her senior year, but she still managed to earn attention from North Alabama as it prepares for its first flag football team next spring. Interim coach Anna Milwee Hovater saw Russo punting the ball and decided to make her part of the Lions’ first signing class.
“She was watching tape and she saw my punt and said, ‘We need her,’” Russo said. “I think that’s what they first got me for. Now I’m going to go in and try out for linebacker and wide receiver, but I know punting is definitely going to be in my future.”
Russo was a standout linebacker and wide receiver for the Knights on the 2024 state championship team, but was limited to punting this past season. She credits Catholic flag football coach Whitney Toole for keeping her collegiate dreams alive.
“On May 26, 20 days after my surgery, I had a practiced signing day speech,” she said. “Coach Toole was talking to me and telling me if you want to play in college, you will play in college. She obviously made sure that would happen. It’s a very hard surgery to recover from and I’m very glad for the support.”
The same can be said of O’Connor, who planned to attend a service academy in any case, but managed to overcome the second knee injury her junior year and still land an offer from Coast Guard soccer coach Susan Grant.
“I got into every academy, but I really wanted to play soccer,” O’Connor said. “For a while, the Naval Academy was my number one choice because I didn’t think I’d be able to play soccer again. But the Coast Guard Academy coach, after I tore my ACL the second time, kept reaching out to me. She had the former captain send me a letter -- she had torn her ACL -- reaching out to me about how they understand the struggle and they still really wanted me there.”
After the second knee injury, it would have been easier to give up on the dream of playing collegiately, but O’Connor remained committed to her goal.
“I grew up with three older brothers and it was kind of like I needed to be better than them, so I set myself to this goal,” she said. “And wanting to go to a service academy kind of pushed me to do rehab, even if I didn’t get back to soccer.”
A fourth Knight, offensive lineman Gion Winters, underwent surgery on Monday morning and his signing with Miles College was delayed until later in the spring.