Brighton High School baseball player Colton Bryant remembers very well gathering in the lobby outside of the school gym when he was a freshmen to watch seniors sign baseball scholarships.
“Ever since I was a freshman and saw the older guys signs it was like, ‘Hey, I want to do that some day,'” Bryant said. “I wanted to go to the next level.”
Last Friday afternoon Bryant, now a senior, was the one being watched by the freshmen when he signed with Freed-Hardeman University in front of family members, coaches and teammates.
Like all players in his class, his path has been unique because COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 season, Bryant’s sophomore year.
“He’s worked really yard since his freshman year,” said Brighton coach Ryan Wood. “He’s another player that, in spite of losing a year of development when COVID hit, still made it happen. He was thrown in the fire a bit his junior year. We needed him to step up and he did.”
Bryant, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder, played more as a designated hitter near the end of the season. He started all three games in the Class AAA state tournament, which Brighton made in 2021 for the first time in school history.
Wood also played at Freed-Hardeman and believes Bryant is a perfect fit for the school.
“He’ll like it there,” Wood said. “He’s a great kid who comes from a great family … I couldn’t think more highly of the kid.”
“It was like a family environment,” Bryant said about his visit to the school, which is located in Henderson, Tenn. “I really like the school and the coaches there. It seemed like a good place to be.”
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