Over at Glynn Academy, the auditorium filled with teammates, classmates, teachers, and coaches to recognize the special day two Terror football players had put in the time and effort to master their crafts.
Both recognized as five-star athletes in their specific positions, punter Kody Arnold and long snapper David Stanphill each took time to thank those around them.
Taking the stage first was Arnold, as he privately made his decision of where to take his athletic and academic career next. Wanting to announce in front of his peers, Arnold thanked those for spending the special day with him and his family.
“First and foremost I want to thank God for putting me in this position where I am,” Arnold said. “Giving me the abilities and everything is just perfect. Without God, I would be nothing. Next, I want to thank my family for their love and support throughout the camps, miles traveled, and financial support. Just everything.”
Playing the game he’s loved since he was a kid, Arnold couldn’t forget about head coach Rocky Hidalgo as he sees the Terrors leader as a mentor and a friend.
One person Arnold forgot about but quickly made up for was Glynn Academy special teams coach Brett Hall. Having spent so much time with him over his time as a Terror, Arnold laughed about forgetting the coach who helped him become the Region 2-6A Special Teams Player of the Year.
“Coach Hall, he’s worked with me ever since I came in as a little eighth grader,” Arnold said with a big smile. “I got cracked one time in practice and became a kicker ever since then. This is where I am at, playing division one football.”
Keeping his decision close to his chest, Arnold pulled out a hat and unzipped his jacket to unveil his next destination.
“Without further ado,” Arnold said. “I’ll be continuing my athletic and academic career at Mercer University. Go Bears.”
Following his teammate and one of his close friend, Stanphill had already signed his letter of intent to play at the Naval Academy during the early period in December.
Unable to share the moment with the Terror faithful, Stanphill wanted to say thank you.
“I want to thank everyone for coming out. Teachers, students, coaches, and everybody for coming out,” Stanphill said. “It means a lot to see the support from my friends, family, and coaches. Everybody that has helped build me up to make me who I am today. Without the support from everyone here, I don’t know who I would be.
“I signed earlier in December, but I wanted this to be a big thank you to the school, and coaching staff to remember the past four years of football and the years I was snapping before then.”
Dedicating his craft to mastering the art of snapping, Stanphill also pointed out how challenging it was to go through the rigorous applications Navy and other Armed Forces schools have. Writing several essays, meeting with representatives, and earning letters of recommendation, Stanphill put pen to paper to become a Midshipman when the school accepted him.
Following Arnold, Stanphill thanked the two coaches that made the dream a reality.
“I want to thank Coach Rock, for him to be my mentor through this whole process. To give guidance and really be there for not only me but my teammates,” Stanphill said. “For him to be there for us and pick us up, after some pretty hard losses and difficult summer practices, to call him our leader there is nobody else I would want to follow these past four years. Incredibly thankful, honored, and blessed to call him my coach.
“Coach Hall I think I have probably spent more time with you than I have with any other coach. All the summer practices we’ve had of snapping and I know Kody can speak on this as well, I feel like I can call you my friend for everything that you have done. You have been such an inspiration for showing me that snapping at the next level is possible.”
Since putting pen to paper to play for the Naval Academy, Stanphill has had the honor of playing in the Polynesian Bowl as one of two long snappers from across the country.
Almost finishing his speech, Stanphill received a slight nudge from his father about forgetting the two who mean the most to him.
“I want to thank my parents, I forgot to mention them the last month and I’ve been hearing about it ever since,” Stanphill said with a laugh. “They have been my biggest support system this whole time. It’s been tough to have a dream and try and follow that, and they have been my rock. I can lean on them and count on them. So many different times I’ve thought I wasn’t going to be able to do it or make it to the next level, but they continued to have faith in me…. I’m really blessed to have y’all.”