ROYAL PALM BEACH – It’s only a matter of time before Ketron Hadley will settle on the college of his choice.
In the lead right now is Benedict, a HBCU based in Columbia, S.C. Other contenders include the likes of West Florida, FAU, Keiser, Ave Maria, and Arkansas Baptist.
“First it was a struggle finding the right home,” said Hadley, who was our Breakthrough Player of the Year nominee. “But things picked up and in the next few weeks, I should be able to announce which school would be my home for the next four years.”
Hadley (No. 4 ATH; No. 32 overall player; 2020 class) spoke fondly of Benedict.
“Its a HBCU and it’s a family-oriented environment,” the 6-foot, 193-pound athlete said. “I understand they’re going through a rebuilding process, which I’ve experienced and handled. And with [first-year head] Coach [Chennis] Berry as the head coach, I feel it’ll be a great start.”
Berry was selected as Benedict’s new head coach in the offseason. As reported by ABC Columbia, he comes to Benedict after serving as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Southern University.
During his seven seasons with Southern, the Jaguars won four SWAC West Division titles and one SWAC title, while the offense under his direction set numerous school and SWAC conference records, according to ABC Columbia.
His coaching resume also includes stops at Howard, North Carolina A&T, Morgan State, Morris Brown, Kentucky State, Fort Valley State and Savannah State, while also serving internships with six different NFL teams, according to ABC Columbia.
“He is a flourishing guy,” Hadley said of Berry. “He had many offenses under him that set records and with him over the offense and what he’s doing for Benedict, it could be a great fit for me offensively. He is someone you can connect well with and talk to, something not too many coaches at the next level can do. I feel as though Coach Berry is that guy who can change things around.”
So why won’t Hadley seal the deal with Benedict now?
“Me and the Benedict coaches are in constant communication and we’re working on finalizing things,” said Hadley, who was a Palm Beach County All-Star this past season. “But by God’s grace, with everything going on, it still gives me time to look for anything better that comes my way.”
With all that said, Hadley was eager to look back on his breakthrough senior season at Royal Palm Beach. He finished with 105 tackles and 3 interceptions on defense, while adding 49 receptions for 765 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense.
Hadley’s best game was in Week 2 against Suncoast, when he recorded the following stats in a 16-13 comeback win on the road for Royal Palm Beach:
•Offense – 8 receptions, 103 yards, game-winning 12-yard touchdown catch with less than 15 seconds left
•Defense – 6 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble
•Special teams – 1 punt block return for a touchdown
“As we all seen throughout the game, my offensive side of the ball showed more,” Hadley said. “That game was fire, especially towards the ending of it.”
Hadley on how the season turned out:
“I loved it,” he said. “I loved being the underdog because no one would ever see you coming. It’s like we knew this year was going to be a turnaround for us. The environment was different, practices were different, and it just clicked.”
Hadley had more to say about it.
“It was fun playing with my brothers through the journey and seeing all of us grow,” he said. “The achievements I made was all by God, so I thank Him. But without my team, I wouldn’t have anything. Every win, every loss was worth it because it helped me push forward and better myself. I look forward to that competition at the next level.”
The end of this month will represent the official end of high school for Hadley, as he’ll be graduating from Royal Palm Beach.
“Graduation for us is May 29th, but Wednesday is our last day,” he said. “It will definitely be different. Something new, but I’m sure we can get through it. It sucks we can’t walk across the stage to have one last moment with the rest of my friends, but it’s manageable.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Gene Nardi
