FAIRFIELD SENIOR ATHLETE Dalton Piske signs a letter to play football at Emporia State University at Emporia, Kan. Pictured with the gridder are his parents, Debbie and Darrell Piske. Fairfield high school Eagle quarterback/ free safety Dalton Piske signed a letter of intent accepting an athletic scholarship to play football in Kansas for the Emporia State University Hornets in fall.

Piske, 18, signed the letter at a ceremony held at FHS and attended by athletics team members.

The gridder is the son of Eagles head coach Darrell and Debbie Piske.

"They just signed him as an athlete and will figure out where to use him," the coach says. "He will play on the offensive side of the ball."

The 18-year-old says he is being considered as a receiver but that Hornets coaches may also want him to pass the ball and take some snaps at the quarterback position.

ESU runs an offense that contains some unique plays, such as snapping the ball directly to a receiver.

Piske was sought by ESU and also by West Texas A&M University, but decided on the Kansas school after a visit last month.

WINNSBORO FOOTBALL STANDOUT Michael Leaks, son of former Fairfield Eagles gridder the late David Leaks, Jr., signs a letter of intent to play football at Stephen F. Austin State University. Pictured with the signee are his mother, Shenika Leaks, and former National Football League player Winfred Tubbs who was a teamate of the senior Leaks in Fairfield. David Leaks, Jr., signed to play at Baylor University when he graduated Fairfield high school. "I gave it about a day, talked to my mom, then called the coach and said I would commit," the 18-year-old says.

"The college is nice, the kids are nice and the coaches are nice," he adds.

A big factor in deciding on ESU is that coaches have told the gridder they want him to play immediately, as a true freshman student.

The Hornets signed 25 recruits on National Signing Day last week and are seeking to improve on their 2008 gridiron record of 4-7.

Coach Piske says the school is rebuilding its team with players it recruits out of high school, instead of collecting junior college transfers, so that players will learn the program from the ground up.

The Fairfield gridder is six feet tall, weighs 180 pounds and can bench press about 285 pounds.

He was a second team All-District pick at quarterback in fall, and earned All- District football honors for three years at Valley Mills until moving in Fairfield.

Piske suits up next for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Victory Bowl, an all star game set for June 13 in Waco.

Along with being a standout on the football field, the senior student runs track as a member of all three Eagles relay teams and as a triple jump competitor.

The three Eagles relay teams—-400, 800 and 1,600 meters—-qualifed for the region meet last year, but Piske had to drop out when he came down with a severe case of strep throat just before region.

At Valley Mills he ran as a member of the state 800- meter relay team that took second place and 400- meter team that took third in Class A two years ago.

The athlete also played basketball early in high school, but gave up that sport.

"The more I played football, the more I loved it even more," he says. "And, I couldn't hang with these Fairfield boys anyway."

Piske plans to major in secondary education with a minor in business.

After completing college, the ESU recruit would like to coach for a few years then open a fitness center with an emphasis on training young athletes for sports competition.