On May 5, Central High School held a ceremony that saw a trio of their athletes sign with various colleges. While surrounded by friends and family, Seniors Talyn Poole, Ryan Engley, and Korbin Baskind officially put pen to paper to play football or baseball for their respective programs.
Multi-sport athlete Talyn Poole pledged to play football for Monmouth College next year. The senior has competed in football, basketball, and baseball during his time with the Bears, and he will have the opportunity to play baseball for the Fighting Scots as well.
Central Football Head Coach Jim Pusateri noted that Poole was willing to play any position or role for the Bears that was needed, whether it was quarterback, tight end, running back, linebacker, punter, or kicker.
“When I think of Talyn Poole, I think of work ethic, which he has displayed daily by always showing up to practice, putting the work in, encouraging players around him to always get better,” Coach Pusateri said. “Talyn is an example of what can happen when you play multiple sports.”
During his senior year alone, Poole amassed quite the statistics sheet, his coach added:
Tight end: 32 receptions for 223 yards, 5 touchdowns
Quarterback (Passing): 7 for 18, 132 yards, 1 touchdown
Rushing: 22 carries for 31 yards, 4 touchdowns
Punting: 30 times for a total of 736 yards, averaging 25 yards a punt with a long of 49, 3 punts inside the 20 yard line, and received all-county recognition for punter of the year
The senior was also nominated for all-conference honors at several positions in the sport of baseball while playing as a catcher, pitcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, left fielder, and “pretty much everything,” Central Athletic Director and former baseball coach Al Sorrentino said.
Poole led the team in RBIs and even logged a stolen base. While consistently playing sports throughout his time with the Bears, he managed to maintain a 3.1 GPA as well. Coach Sorrentino, who retired from the lead role at the conclusion of the season, commended Poole for his dedication.
“Baseball wise we are going to miss him,” Coach Sorrentino said. “I have told him for two years now that I believe that if he got the opportunity at the next level to be a pitcher that he could be successful at that as well. So, I hope that opportunity does come to fruition and he gets to pitch well at the next level.”
“I first want to thank my family for allowing me to get this point in life and be able to take on a new role, go to college, and be an athlete,” Poole said. “Then, I also want to thank my teammates for always being there for me and just always having a good time, just always being there… I just want to thank my coaches… for always being there for me and always leading me in the right direction and shaping me into the young man I am today.”
Next up was Senior Pitcher and First Baseman Ryan Engley. He signed to play baseball for Brewton-Parker College as a pitcher. During his time with the Bears, he sported a .311 batting average and led the team in doubles. As a pitcher, he managed a 2.78 ERA in his senior year, according to Maxpreps.com, and averaged better than a strikeout per inning across his entire high school career.
“When he first started playing for us, he wasn’t too crazy about hitting,” Coach Sorrentino said. “We needed him to play first base, we needed him to hit. As the years have gone by, lo and behold, his senior year, he was one of our better hitters… Came up with some big hits for us throughout the season, but his biggest value to us was on the mound as a pitcher.”
Engley’s father thanked Coach Sorrentino for holding the entire squad accountable for their actions across their entire time playing for the Bears. “I think all the parents appreciate that,” and the players “all thanked [Coach Sorrentino] for making them better men,” the elder Engley added.
“I know I am proud of Ryan and the things he’s done. I know there’s a lot of potential left in him. He’s only just begun to learn how to push himself and work hard. He’s going to have no choice but to do that at the next level. I personally think his biggest challenge will be waking up for class in the morning. So, hopefully he gets over that hump, the rest will come easy to him. Again, he needs to be ready to work.”
Senior Korbin Baskind rounded out the athletic trio as he also pledged to play baseball (as a pitcher and fielder) for Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. As a pitcher, he struck out 170 batters across his entire career and only allowed a 2.27 ERA as a senior. Baskind also sported a .324 batting average as a senior while having a fielding percentage of .942 or better over his final two seasons.
“I can say Corbin was not ever one of those players where I had to say, ‘guess what, you are sitting tonight because you decided not to go to first period class today or you decided to not do whatever we expect.’ It was a joy having Corbin as part of our program. He’s developed not only as a baseball player but a young man. I truly believe that this is a name you need to remember. Four, five years from now, he is still going to be playing baseball at another level beyond college.”
Afterwards, Baskind credited his teammates and thanked his coach for the kind words, calling Sorrentino “one of the best [coaches] I have ever had.”
With the three local high schoolers about to embark on a bold new chapter of their lives, Coach Pusateri reminded them, “Once a Bear, always a Bear.”
