COLTEN FLORENCE

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – St. Clairsville has had quite a run with NCAA Division I football signees over the past several seasons. Colten Florence is the latest.

The 6-4, 220-pound senior has committed to play football at the University of Dayton.

“It’s a huge relief. The (recruiting) process was fun. I enjoyed it,” Florence said. “The coaches were amazing. I just felt like I could call it home for the next six years.”

Florence chose the Flyers over Mercyhurst, Valparaiso, Wheeling and Muskingum.

“Those were my final 5.”

Veteran St. Clairsville head coach Brett McLean thinks Dayton is an ideal setting for Florence.

“Honestly, I think he is super excited to get the opportunity to play there. Coach (Trevor) Andrews made a good impression on Colten,” McLean said. “During their first conversation, Colten told me they knew more about him than he knew about himself. They had studied him, studied his pedigree, where he came from and all of his accomplishments. That alone gave him the impression that they cared.

“He had many opportunities at other places, but he felt like that was the best fit for him. I think they are getting an outstanding kid and an outstanding player.”

As a senior defensive end, Florence charted 39 tackles, eight tackles for lost yardage, sacked the quarterback a dozen times and had 19 quarterback hurries. With numbers like those, he was honored as a Division V first team all-Ohioan and was the Eastern District Co-Defensive Player of the Year. He was also selected to participate in the Ohio North/South All-Star Game in April.

Career-wise, the three-year letterman collected 25 quarterback sacks and 31 quarterback hurries.

“After playing on the other side of Brody Saunders for two years, he had to kind of ‘tutor’ his younger brother, Hudson, this season, but he had another exceptional year,” McLean noted. “He is relentless on the field and has a motor to get after the quarterback. His 12 sacks last season is the most we’ve had in my time here.

“The sky is the limit for him.”

In addition to the aforementioned accolades, Florence was a two-time Big 22 Defensive Block of Granite nominee and a winner this past season. He was also first team on the all-OVAC and all-Buckeye 8 squads, as well as all-Valley.

“It was fun. I enjoyed it,” Florence said of his senior campaign that saw the Red Devils advance to the second round of the Division V, Region 17 playoffs before falling at Garrettsville Garfield . “I had my (younger) brother on the other side. It was so much fun having him out there on the field with me.”

Despite all of his success in high school, Florence knows there’s work to do to play at the next level.

“I need to get stronger and put on some weight,” he said “I also need to work on my speed. When I get there I’ll see what else they want me to do.”

Also a standout on the baseball diamond, Florence was second team all-Eastern District and second team all-OVAC last spring.

Florence said he hopes to pursue a career as a Physicians Assistant.