COLUMBIA, S.C. — Signing day at Dreher went on as scheduled with athletics director Jeff DiBattisto, head football coach Treigh Sullivan and head basketball coach Daryl Jarvis there to see their athletes enjoy a major moment in their lives.
But one person who wasn’t there was assistant football coach Damien Jackson who passed away Monday due to COVID-19 complications.
“Coach Jack” would have been one of the first to congratulate receiver Claude Mattison on his signing with Methodist University.
But as they took a moment to mention the passing of a beloved teacher and coach, Mattison along with basketball players Davario Sheppard and Landon Dawson took part in a ceremony that bonds them with tens of thousands of athletes across the country.
While Mattison will play football at Methodist University, Sheppard and Dawson are part of a Dreher package that is headed to Newberry College. Former Dreher standout T.J Brown earned Second Team All-SAC honors this past season so Sheppard and Dawson will have a high bar that has been seet by a former Dreher teammate.