Ardmore lineman Mason Graham will be joining a program used to winning championships next season, as he has signed a scholarship to play at Georgetown College in a ceremony at the Ardmore High School gymnasium Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m beyond excited,” Graham said. “I’ll be able to compete for conference titles and national titles and play for one of the greatest coaches.”

Graham’s enthusiasm is not unwarranted. Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky, is one of the premier NAIA football programs in the country, winning 19 Mid-South Conference championships, winning three national championships (1991, 2000, 2001) and being national runner-up twice (1999, 2002).

The Tigers are coached by Bill Cronin, who took over the program in 1997 and has led the NAIA playoffs in 15 of his 21 seasons, including four appearances in the national championship game and two national titles.

Graham said Georgetown’s winning culture is what attracted him to the college.

“They are always striving for greatness,” Graham said. “That’s one of my favorite things about Georgetown. It’s an incredible honor to have been able to play for my coaches at Ardmore for four years and now move on to the next level of football and the next stage of my life as both an athlete and a scholar. It’s an opportunity not very many people get.”

Former Ardmore football coach Clint Legg, who coached Graham for his first three years in high school, attended the ceremony and said it was a proud moment for him as a coach.

“Mason has always been a hard-working kid,” Legg said. “And he is going to a great school. Coach Cronin at Georgetown College does a great job. They win championships there, and it’s exciting that Mason will get the chance to do that.”

Legg said he’s not surprised to see Graham have success not only as a football player but as a student as well.

“He’s a great student-athlete,” Legg said. “He’s got great parents who care about his grades and care about him. With his work ethic and the way he handles his stuff in the classroom, he’ll be a success in whatever he attempts to do.”

Graham signed his scholarship paper in front of a crowd of family, friends and classmates. He said that experience is one that will stay with him for a long time.

“It makes the moment that much better,” Graham said. “I’ll be able to look back on this with my kids whenever I’m 40 or 50.”