Four Rams sign Letters of Intent on early National Signing Day

Last week inside Rogers High’s library there was a celebration for four student athletes who were making their commitments to college official.

It was all part of the early National Letter of Intent signing day festivities.

Sitting center stage for the ceremonial signing were Kelsey Breer (Idaho State), Jessica O’Toole (Saint Martin’s University) and Sasha Killings (Bethune-Cookman University) for the girls, and Troy Johnston (Gonzaga University) as the lone male athlete signing for Rogers.

Many of these decisions had been made long ago, so the day was just making it official. Johnston made his decision to join Gonzaga’s baseball program back during his sophomore season with the Rams.

“I signed it yesterday (Nov. 11) because I had to fax it in. Gonzaga wanted to do it right off the bat,” Johnston said.

Even if the decision was made long ago, the day still resonated with the outfielder.

“It feels great and I love the support,” he added. “All my friends came, my family and coach — it was very, very meaningful to me.”

For the girls, offers to continue their softball careers came after the Rogers softball team made a spring run into districts before falling just short of the state bracket. That progress demonstrated enough for each girl to play a significant role at the next level.

“It feels really good because all the work I put in these past eight years is paying off,” said Killings, who will be used in a utility role for the Wildcats. “To be able to play at the next level is exciting.”

“A lot of the work feels like it’s paid off,” said O’Toole, who will pitch for the Saints softball team. “It (means) a lot — it’s crazy.”

Breer’s signing brought extra joy to the Rams softball family as her offer to Idaho State came despite an injury that scared away other colleges, she said.

“After tearing my ACL, a lot of my communication with schools got cut off,” Breer said of how programs reacted to the injury, which happened during her sophomore season.

But the lines of communication never fell to total silence as the Bengals came calling after scouts felt the film on Breer proved she belonged in Pocatello.

“I gave her a call and she was a coach that friendly and real easy to talk to,” Breer said of former Idaho State coach Julie Wright, who recruited her. “She told me she tore her ACL playing softball. She made it feel like it was home.”

There’s still months ahead for these four Rogers Rams — and a spring season of high hopes.

“It makes me really excited for the season, to be back out with my team,” O’Toole said.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Four Rams sign Letters of Intent on early National Signing Day."