Three Bulldogs Sign To Play At Next Level

Three Toombs County High School Bulldog football players signed their letters of intent on Early National Signing Day last week. Lagonza Harward will be heading to the University of Florida, TJ Stanley is off to Georgia State, and Mike Polke will head up the road to play for the Bears of Mercer University.

Three days after decommitting from Tennessee, safety Lagonza Hayward announced he’ll be playing in The Swamp in Gainesville for the next several years. The four-star prospect is ranked as the No. 72 player in the country and No. 9 safety in this year’s class.

Florida originally offered Hayward back in January, and even though he had verbally committed to the Volunteers, becoming a Gator never left his mind. Hayward says UF’s recent success isn’t the reason he decided to flip, but it did make him more comfortable in making the decision.

“Really they were recruiting me the whole time,” said Hayward. “I kept in contact with them when I was committed to Tennessee, and things happen for a reason. I’m trying to bring back the Swamp King era. Gator fans, all of Gainesville, it’s electrifying. And if you can bring something special back to that place, then I’m all down for that challenge.”

TJ Stanley has been one of the keys to success for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons and is getting ready to lead his team in the State Championship Game in Atlanta next week. He will head back to Atlanta after his high school career ends to play for the Panthers of Georgia State.

“I actually went up to Atlanta a couple of days before I committed and got to sit down with Coach Jim Chaney and Coach Dell Mc-Gee and just really talk,” said Stanley. “It’s just that bond that we’ve created that’s meant a lot to me, and I think they’re going to be there for a long time, and I’m excited to go play for them.“ Mike Polke has been a key for the Bulldogs on both offense and defense, and has been recruited by the Bears as a safety. He will head up to Macon to play next season.

“Coach Vega was my recruiting coach and Coach Brown, they always check up on me, so it’s like I’m already family with them,” said Polke. “I’m family and I’m home there already.

“Me, TJ, and Gonza, we’ve always played rec. together. We do everything together, really. We do drills at The Pit, and we always said we were going to make it, and here we are.”

All three are going to play Division 1 ball and each one said that this day is a dream come true.

Lagonza Hayward signed his letter of intent to play football for the Florida Gators, with family watching.Photo by Mike Branch

Mike Polke signed his letter of intent to play football for the Mercer Bears alongside his family.Photo by Mike Branch