BLACKSVILLE — Waynesburg University signed their third player from Monongalia County in the past two weeks as Clay-Battelle’s Mason Chisler signed his letter of intent on Tuesday inside the Statler-Wilson Gymnasium.
Chisler said the home feel of the program resonated with him and that he clicked right away with everyone there.
“I went on my visit and really enjoyed every part of it,” he said. “The campus was small and it was a very welcoming environment. Being able to stay close to home is big for me and I’ll be hooking back up with my former teammate (Johnny Arnett) and I’m really looking forward to that.”
Chisler will join WU next season on the defensive side of the ball at strong safety. After being on a very strong offensive team this year, in which two players rushed for over 1,000 yards, Chisler takes pride in being noticed for the work he did on defense, which ultimately got him to his signing day.
“It means a lot that I’m able to show I have the ability to play defense at the next level,” Chisler said. “We were able to do pretty well while I’ve been here and went to the state playoffs a few times, too. I just want to show what I can do.”
Despite being at the Class A level in West Virginia, Chisler credited his time at C-B for helping him get to where he is now. Just last week, two players from University High School (Landon Cool and Jake Stevens), which is a Class AAA school in football, signed to play for WU also. Chisler understands what is in front of him and accepts the challenge that comes with playing in college.
“The coaching staff here helped me out a lot along the way,” he said. “I played linebacker mostly here and they really helped develop me on the field. My teammates have also meant the world to me over the years.”
“I’m hoping to connect with those other local guys that have signed there. I know we can help show the coaching staff what West Virginia has to offer and what our area has to offer. I’m excited to share the field with those players from different levels.”
Chisler echoed the message that UHS’ Jake Stevens mentioned a week ago with the newer staff at WU, mentioning the vision of the coaches going forward.
“The head coach there shows leadership — he showed us the inside and out of everything,” Chisler said. “The defense they run there is actually similar to what we run at Clay-Battelle, so it shouldn’t be much of an adjustment for me. I can’t wait to get started.”
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