The third Georgiana Panther in as many months scored an opportunity to play sports at the next level Wednesday.

Georgiana senior Willie Mobley has signed a letter of intent to attend MacMurray College, a four-year private college in Jacksonville, Ill., with hopes of joining the MacMurray Highlanders on the field in the fall as a defensive lineman.

Mobley’s presence is well known as a friendly face both on various fields of play at Georgiana as well as on the sideline, as the senior played pivotal roles on both the Panthers’ baseball and football teams.

For Georgiana head football coach Ezell Powell, Mobley’s presence is one that will be sorely missed for more than what he brought to the field.

“Willie is a great kid and a humble person with a jolly personality,” Powell said.

“We enjoyed his energy and willingness to work with others, and his teammates thought a lot of him.  And if he was healthy or injured, he was always supporting his teammates.”

Mobley served as a member of the Panthers’ offensive and defensive lines as a center and a defensive end.

Both roles, especially the former, often go underappreciated. Then again, according to Powell (a fellow lineman), appreciation was rarely a thing Mobley ever sought as a player.

“Yes, linemen go unnoticed a lot due to the fact that their position isn’t as exciting to the eye as running backs, quarterbacks and wide receivers,” Powell said.

“As linemen, we have learned to have pride about ourselves and have an understanding that none of the plays work without the linemen.

Despite underplaying his contributions to the team, Mobley’s role is one that will prove difficult to fill as the Panthers prepare for the upcoming fall.

“Willie did play on both sides of the ball for us, and he will be missed because of that,” Powell said.

“We are working hard to find someone to fill that void on both sides of the ball.”

Mobley himself said that there were primarily two factors in his decision to attending MacMurray College—the relatively small size of the school in comparison to other four-year institutions, and a chance to come in and play immediately as a freshman.

Though his college of choice isn’t exactly a hop and a skip away from home, that fact brings just as much excitement as anxiety.

“Part of me is nervous, but I’m excited to see and visit a new state,” Mobley said.

“I am optimistic about it, and the distance from home really didn’t bother me or weigh into my decision.  I am just thankful for the opportunity to continue my education and play football.”

Though Mobley’s time at Georgiana imparted a lot of wisdom that will serve him well at the collegiate level, a few lessons were more important than most.

“We had a great coaching staff that stressed the value of hard work, and how if you wanted something you have to be willing to work hard to achieve it,” Mobley said.

“I wanted to compete and win, and that’s what I will continue working towards.”