Eleven Emmaus athletes representing seven sports signed letters of intent to colleges last week.

Athletic director Dennis Ramella estimated the total amount of scholarships to be around two million dollars.

The student-athletes have an average grade point average of 3.46 and include five National Honor Society members, three All-Americans and six all-state players.

While most of the athletes intentions were announced in a press release Ramella sent out a week before last Wednesday's signing ceremony, football player Andy Davidson kept his a secret until just before signing.

The two-time conference defensive player of the year accepted an offer from the US Military Academy at West Point.

"Army just fully blew me away," said Emmaus' leading rusher and top tackler last season. "They were in it since the beginning. They offered me during summer going into senior year. They were fully invested in me and I got blown away by their facilities and everything when I went up there."

He chose Army over Lehigh, Lafayette and Navy. A running back/linebacker the past two seasons, Davidson expects to play outside linebacker at West Point but will not balk at playing any position.

"That's where I was most comfortable after playing there most of the years," he said. "It's just wherever I'm needed. I still like defense more, it's just that I'll play wherever I'm needed."

Davidson is unsure about whether he'll play lacrosse again in spring. One of his Emmaus lacrosse teammates joined him at last week's press conference.

Claude Bradshaw was the Lehigh Valley Conference's Most Valuable Player in lacrosse last spring as a junior. After one more season at Emmaus, he will move on to Hartford College, which he chose over the University of Tampa, Robert Morris and the Naval Academy.

He liked the family aspect of Hartford's team when he visited. He plays defense for the two-time district champion Hornets and expects to play defense or long stickman in college.

Like most of the student-athletes honored at last week's ceremony, Bradshaw was happy to celebrate achieving what seemed like a life-long goal.

"Ever since I was a kid playing in the back yard I always dreamed about playing at a big school or playing professionally," he said. "When the opportunity came I was real excited. It's something I didn't want to pass up on.

"It's a celebration but it's also a big weight off your shoulder."

Emmaus field hockey player Tara Tracchio also considered some Connecticut schools (Sacred Heart and Fairfield) as well as Towson and Temple before choosing to continue her career at Delaware.

"When I went to Delaware I absolutely fell in love," she said. "The campus was beautiful. Talking to the coaches, I loved them."

Tracchio, who grew up playing basketball, swimming and dancing, only realized she could play in college when the coaches came looking for her.

"Honestly I never really had enough confidence that I would make it here," she said. "I started in eighth grade, which was pretty late. All the girls around me had been playing since second grade or first grade.

"I never really thought this day would be here and that's why it feels so special. Last year when I started to talk to Delaware and Temple and all these other coaches, I realized I could do this."

After playing several different positions in high school, Tracchio is looking forward to playing any spot that her college team needs her.

Volleyball player Mackenzie O'Brien feels the same way about her future Marist career.

After recording 1,252 kills in four years of high school, she is certainly a capable hitter, but she also recorded 983 digs, which proves her versatility.

"I have a goal to start, but our coach just transferred so we're looking for a new one," O'Brien said. "I think I have to try my hardest and be determined, but not be too upset if I don't start as a freshman. I just want to play. I don't care where I play."

O'rien was drawn to Marist by the beauty of the campus, which sits on the banks of the Hudson River. She also considered Loyola of Maryland, University of Maryland - Baltimore County and Rider. She visited Marist first and the other schools couldn't match what she saw on her first visit to Poughkeepsie.

"It's just so beautiful," she said. "It's so much better than anything I've seen."

Field hockey player Teresa Carotenuto used the opposite approach. After visiting Boston College, she thought it would be her final choice. But a trip to the south side of Bethlehem changed her mind.

"At first I really thought Boston was where I wanted to be," she said. "But I went for an unofficial visit at Lehigh and I absolutely loved it. The campus atmosphere and students, it's an incredible place to be. The combination of athletics and academics, it's unbeatable."

Carotenuto was Emmaus' top scorer as a sophomore, but after an ACL injury that sidelined her for the entire 2013 season, she decided to forgo high school competition and only play club field hockey as a senior.

She was a member of WC Eagles out of Pottstown where she played forward on a team that won several prestigious national club titles.

"I've played with them since I was little," she said. "It was a personal decision to play there. I think that has been the best decision I've made. All the girls there have full rides to Division I schools."

She said she knows most of the other six freshman Lehigh brought in for it's class of 2019.

Most of the athletes that signed letters last week at Emmaus have been leaders on their team for at least one year, sometimes longer. Shannon McGinnis is a shining example of that.

This year's Emmaus soccer team was built around the all-star center back, according to head coach Rob Rooney, who called it an 'honor and priveledge' to have coached her.

McGinnis will move on to St. Francis College in Loretto.

"When I went to St. Francis and talked to the program director and the coach," she said. "I knew from that visit that was where I wanted to go."

Her expectations for next fall are to play her best and let the coaches decide her fate.

"I'm just focused on working hard and trying to prepare my best to be successful and see how it unfolds next season," she said. "Over four years I played as a center back. I was part of a unit. It wasn't just me. We all held each other accountable to work hard each other every day. I'm just going to carry that on throughout college and do the best I can for the program."

McGinnis' teammate Emily Pennell was also a vocal leader and captain for the Emmaus girls soccer team last fall.

Pennell considered Lebanon Valley, York and Mount Aloysius colleges before choosing the University of Pittburgh at Johnstown.

The school recently moved up to the Division II level and Pennell looks forward to helping her team become successful in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference after it went winless in 2014.

"Since they're an up and coming D-2 school I hope to come out as a freshman and help them get to the next level," she said. "I enjoy being a leader, especially this last year being a captain. I hope to continue that with my next team."

Golfer Kelsey Patterson is also heading to the western part of the state to continue her golfing career. She briefly considered going to a bigger school (Bowling Green) and giving up competitive golf.

"I couldn't really imagine being in school and not having to juggle golf," she said. "It seemed like there would be a hole there."

She chose to play at St. Francis, where she expects to be part of a team much like this year's Emmaus team. The Red Flash has a team without superstars, but they are solid up and down the line up.

Golf might be considered an individual sport by most players, but the leader of Emmaus' team last year enjoys the team camaraderie that comes with scholastic and collegiate golf.

Swimmer Carter Paules is very familiar with the Rider University team. His brother Evan has been at Rider for two years and the two will be teammates next season.

Carter chose the Lawrence Township, NJ, school not only because of his brother and the closeness to the team, but also because they had his major, global supply chain management.

He expects to swim the breaststroke and individual medley for the Broncos and based on his times he knows he can make an immediate impact on the team.

"Looking at my times and comparing them to their last year championship meet," he said. "I think I could definitely score points at their championship meet."

Paules' Emmaus teammate, Claire Frank, was also part of last week's ceremony. She chose Kutztown University over Messiah, Arcadia, Albright and Susquehanna.

She liked the communication design program at the Berks County school and will also expect to help the team as soon as next winter.

"I feel like I can really contribute the first year," she said. "I already love the coach. I'm going to really enjoy my experience at Kutztown for swimming."

One more future PSAC player will be Megan Snyder, who led the Emmaus girls soccer team in scoring the past two seasons. She will continue her career at Edinboro University in Erie.

A four-year varsity player, Snyder started for two years after earning a few starts as a sophomore.

"On a team that was built from the back out around Shannon [McGinnis], Megan was more than a serviceable forward," said Emmaus head coach Rob Rooney. "She was a dynamic player. She's got great pace. She was unafraid to run at people. "Even though she's not the biggest kid in the whole world, she's like five-feet tall on a good day, but she's very fearless and really carried the attacking load for us."

Snyder showed her toughness by starting every game the past two seasons and doing whatever the coaches asked of her.

"She just goes about her business," said Rooney. "There's no drama with her."

Snyder and the rest of this year's class of Emmaus' college recruits will likely prove to be assets to their teams over the last few seasons in the same way they have been over the past four seasons of high school and club sports.