LAURINBURG — As Trey Chavis put pen to paper in the Scotland High School media center Wednesday morning, he felt a sense of relief about his recruiting process finally coming to a close.
Like for all high school athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, recruitment has been more difficult than ever with the NCAA dead periods and travel and social distancing restrictions. Also, there have been fewer scholarships available for high school athletes nationwide due to the NCAA giving all college athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic.
Chavis, a senior receiver for the Fighting Scots, signed his national letter-of-intent to continue his football career at UNC-Pembroke in the fall.
“It really just took a lot of the pressure off the whole recruiting process,” Chavis said. “It’s been tough this year — it’s just a relief honestly.”
Chavis said recruiting was slow for a while, but picked up after the season ended earlier this spring.
“It’s always special to see another player get a chance to play football, but more importantly, continue their education,” said Scotland head coach Richard Bailey. “Trey is a true student-athlete and I took forward for him to do big things, not only on the field, but in the classrooms at UNCP.
Chavis was also considering Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne, but UNCP had the most to offer him.
“Pembroke was the only one to offer me a full scholarship to play,” Chavis said. “That was the biggest thing. Once I got that, that was where I wanted to go.”
He added that he plans to major in business while playing for the Braves.
“I know that football is not the end,” Chavis said. “After football, life goes on, so I hope to be able to build on that. I really enjoyed my time (playing for Scotland), but all good things must come to an end. Now just onto the next chapter.”
Despite the shortened season, Chavis excelled on the field for Scotland, leading the team in receiving yards, while earning all-conference honors and a spot in the NCCA East-West All-Star game in Greensboro this summer. He finished his senior season with 341 receiving yards and a touchdown on 16 receptions. He also had a rushing touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown.
“I’ve coached for 30 years and Trey has been one of the most enjoyable kids to coach,” Bailey said. “His parents should be very proud of the young man they have helped nurture and grow.”
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