By Kyle Coppola
Four Eustis High Students Sign College Basketball Letters of Intent
It was a morning filled with pride, smiles, and celebration in the Eustis High School gymnasium as four senior basketball players officially signed their college letters of intent to continue both their athletic and academic careers. Surrounded by family, friends, and teammates, Timothy Key, Andrew Riley, Cornelius “Duke” Hines, and Jayveon Dale marked the next chapter of their journeys on the very court where they made their mark.
(Coach Wesley Green was all smiles as his players signed their national letters of intent.)
Timothy Key, a key contributor to Eustis’ return to the FHSAA Class 4A State Semifinals for the first time since 2008, signed with North Park University, an NCAA Division III program in Wisconsin. Timothy finished his senior season with 369 points, 78 rebounds and 22 steals, capping off a varsity career that included 679 points and 246 rebounds.
(Timothy Key lines up for a three point shot.)
Andrew Riley is heading to Florida College, a private Christian institution competing in the NAIA. Known for his offensive and defensive skills, Andrew tallied 240 points during the season and earned praise for his team-first mentality and ability to lock down opponents.
(Andrew Riley is heade to Florida College: Photo Credit – Joe Ott.)
Duke Hines, one of Lake County’s top defenders and rebounders, signed with Central Georgia Technical College, a NJCAA member of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association. Duke led the Panthers with 258 rebounds and 65 blocks while scoring 338 points during a standout senior season.
(Cornelius Hines lines up for a free throw attempt at Leesburg High: Photo Credit – Joe Ott.)
Jayveon Dale, who graduated with the Class of 2024 and spent the past year working to continue his basketball career, inked his commitment to John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois. A versatile scorer and defender, Jayveon finished his high school career with 597 points, 162 rebounds and 100 steals.
(Jayveon Dale signed with John Wood Community College: Photo Credit – Joe Ott.)
Coach Green couldn’t contain his excitement and stated “In this climate of college basketball, it is a huge blessing to be able to play at the next level. It does not matter what level. Be grateful & thankful for it. We hvae kids from Eustis who are playing at every level right now. We are thankful for all the coaches that have came in and recruited our kids. As we get ready to send another set of kids off to college, we are thankful for the work they put in to help us continue to build our program, brick by brick. To Tim, Drew, Duke, Jay and Lomar, I am extremely thankful for the work you all put in and helping us build our program. Good luck at the next level,” said coach Green.
Congratulations to all four men. We wish them the very best of luck on their journey.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
