BOYNTON BEACH – Derek Gelin and Sebastien Venerin are as reliable and dependable as they come.
The Somerset Academy Canyons two-way linemen did their very best to protect sophomore quarterback Benson Barnes. They did their best to put him and their skill players in position to gain yardage.
“Derek and Sebastian did everything they could to make sure I was protected throughout each game,” Barnes said. “They always gave 100 percent effort each and every play.”
With their level of consistently, Gelin and Venerin earned the respect of their fellow teammates and coaches. And they ultimately earned their ticket to Bethany College.
The Cougars duo announced their college destination on the night of April 24. Both decisions came within an hour of each other, proving that they were not going to part ways with each other at this time.
“Honestly it feels great knowing that I’ll be continuing college with one of my best buddies,” Venerin said. “I know that the I won’t be alone with the decision of going out of state and that we’ll still be able to play together. I couldn’t ask for much more.”
Gelin feels the same way.
“It’s really exciting because not only do I get to pursue a sport I love in college, but I also get to experience it all with my brother,” he said of going to the NAIA school, which is located in Bethany, W.V. “Bethany is building some pretty cool things in their program. They have a beautiful campus, as well as what seems to be an awesome coaching staff.”
Gelin spoke some more about his relationship with Venerin.
“Well, we’ve been great friends since the beginning of high school,” he said. “And by senior year, we knew we wanted to ball out in college together. So it was really exciting for me to get that chance to actually realize my dream alongside my brother.”
Somerset Academy Canyons offensive line coach Alex Gonzalez was impressed with what he has seen from the two outgoing senior linemen.
“I started coaching at Somerset in 2017, and that’s when I first met Sebastian and Derek,” Gonzalez said. “Both have been important to the Cougar football program because they were there in the beginning of the program. They have been playing varsity football for four years. They both contributed to the culture that is slowly but surely changing in the right direction.”
Gonzalez is confident in their ability and potential to excel at Bethany College.
“Both Sebastian and Derek took care of business in the classroom, just as they did on the field to allow themselves this opportunity to play at the next level,” Gonzalez said. “We as a staff are proud of them.”
