The Guthrie football program finished the 2023 season with a 10-2 record. A big part of that success was inside the Guthrie High School gymnasium Wednesday afternoon signing college football letters.
Seniors Nate Benford, Jaylen Harper, and Eli Moroney signed the formal letter next to their families and were surrounded by coaches, teammates, and students.
Benford and Harper signed with Emporia State and Moroney signed with Southwestern College.
Emporia State, in Kansas, is a Division II school with the Mid-America Intercollege Athletics Association (MIAA), and Southwestern, in Winfield, Kansas, plays in the NAIA.
Head Coach Kelly Beeby shared their stats and what each player has meant to the program, including a 29-7 record dating back to their sophomore seasons.
“This does not happen by accident,” Beeby said while pointing toward the three players sitting at midcourt. “These young men have put in a lot of time, hard work, and dedication to get where they are at.”
He continued, “They are all good academic students, they are good in the weight room, they are all tough kids, they are intelligent, and they are team first guys.”
Benford, who was an Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State selection, was a two-year starter and in 2023 finished with 72 tackles, 33 assist tackles, and six interceptions from his cornerback position. Benford played on all three sides of the ball, including two touchdown receptions while playing wide receiver.
Harper, who moved from wide receiver to running back his junior season, was a three-year starter and finished with over 2,300 career rushing yards, including a school record 343 yards in a single game with five touchdowns in a first-round playoff game against Lawton MacArthur.
Harper, who had 36 career scores with 32 coming this season, was named the District 5A-2 Offensive Player of the Year.
Moroney had a coming out party during his senior campaign that has left him on top or near the top of some of the greats to play on Jelsma Stadium for the Jays.
The defensive lineman finished with 19 sacks in his senior campaign and is tied for the single Guthrie sack leader along with former NFL player Kentrell Brothers. He finished fourth on the all-time list behind L’liott Curry, Brothers, and Landry Chappell with 23 total sacks.
The quiet giant finished with 98 tackles, including 35 tackles for loss.
Beeby mentioned how polite Moroney is by opening doors for others coming to the signing, but said when the helmet went on, he became someone different.
“He’s one of the most violent guys that we have ever had the pleasure to coach,” Beeby said.
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