Reagan County High School seniors Brooklynn Reyes and Morgan Dodd signed letters of intent Wednesday afternoon to continue their athletic careers at Wayland Baptist University during a ceremony held at 3 p.m. in front of the entire Reagan County High School student body, along with family members, friends, teammates and coaches.
Reyes signed to play softball for the Pioneers after helping lead the Lady Owls through one of the most successful seasons in program history. With Reyes in the circle, Reagan County captured its first-ever Area Championship this spring and advanced to the Regional Final after winning the Regional Semifinal earlier this week. The Lady Owls are scheduled to face Sundown in the Regional Final at 6 p.m. Thursday in Andrews.
Dodd signed to play basketball after overcoming injuries and becoming one of the leaders of Reagan County’s successful girls basketball program.
Basketball coach Damien Bates praised Dodd’s dedication and commitment to improving her game, saying she was constantly working even while battling injuries.
“When I first got here, she was one of the first people that I got the honor of speaking to, and I could tell right away how much she loved the game,” Bates said during the ceremony. “She was passionate about it, she studied it, she wanted to play. She wanted to work hard. She wanted to become the best that she could.”
Bates said Dodd embraced the sacrifices required to play at the collegiate level and credited her parents for supporting the demanding process. He encouraged her to stay the course at Wayland Baptist and complete her college career there.
Softball coach Shane Fuller highlighted Reyes’ work ethic and determination, noting that much of her success came from the time she spent working outside of practice.
“To get to the point where both of these are, it’s not just what you do during the period. It’s not what you do at practice,” Fuller said. “It’s the time and work that Brooklynn has put in outside of school during the summers, during the fall, when nobody’s looking.”
Fuller said Reyes developed into a player younger athletes can look up to through her perseverance and commitment to improvement.
Coach Gabe Acosta reflected on both athletes’ journeys through high school athletics, sharing stories about their growth, leadership and resilience. He recalled Reyes growing from a young freshman pitcher into a dependable leader for the Lady Owls softball team.
“All that hard work and dedication paid off,” Acosta said. “Every year when we would do our district meetings, you were newcomer of the year, MVP, pitcher of the year. You were always in those conversations.”
Acosta also spoke about Dodd’s determination to overcome multiple injuries and surgeries during her basketball career.
“You found a way to fight every single time,” Acosta said of Dodd. “Your perseverance, work ethic, competitive nature, all saw you through those rough times.”
Acosta credited Dodd and her senior teammates with helping turn Reagan County girls basketball into a state-ranked program this season after a major improvement from the previous year.
The ceremony concluded with both athletes signing their letters of intent surrounded by supporters as classmates, teammates and family members celebrated the next step in their athletic careers.
