Piedmont, AL – Piedmont’s Hanson sticks with first offer, will get to play baseball with lifelong teammate Hayes at Snead State Community College
By Joe Medley
Max Hanson is a trust guy, and trust shut down his baseball recruitment early. The process culminated in Thursday’s joint celebration with Jack Hayes at Piedmont High School. Both Bulldog stars signed with Snead State. The process for Hanson was short. “I told myself the first person that took a chance on me, I was going to take it and run with it,” Hanson said.
That first person to take a chance on Hanson was Snead assistant coach Andrew Porch, who played with Hanson’s dad at Snead. “I already kind of knew him, and he told me he was going to give me an offer,” Hanson said. “I told him I wanted to play there.” Huntingdon College reached out to Hanson later, but Hanson kept the faith. “I just had to tell them that I had already committed to Snead,” he said. “That’s just kind of how I’ve always been. Whoever puts trust in me, I trust them. “They were the first to trust me, so I just knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Hanson committed while Hayes weighed his options. Hayes had the offer from Snead, among other schools, but also kept his mind open for football offers. “We’re full on Snead right now,” Hayes said. Hayes committed to Snead after Hanson, and he looks forward to his long road ending at a short porch. “It’s really what they’ve been doing in the past and the fence length, the short left field,” he said about Snead’s 305-foot left-field line. “They raised it a little bit this year. They didn’t move it back. “I still think we’ll be all right.”
Hayes is set to embark on the last season of one of Calhoun County’s most decorated careers for a high school athlete. He finished his football career as a four-time, first-team all-state selection and two-time Class 3A back of the year, as chosen by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. He was also a two-time Class 1A-3A Calhoun County player of the year. He tops four Alabama High School Athletic Association all-time lists: 223 total touchdowns (rushing and passing), 159 touchdown passes, 15,104 total yards and 11,024 passing yards. He was 51-8 as a starting quarterback. [read more…]
