JONESVILLE, La. &045; Chad Harkins received great pleasure from coaching and watching tight end/defensive end Jeremy Washington the last two seasons.

However, Block’s head coach sounds more excited about what the future holds for Washington, a 6-5, 215-pound prospect who will officially commit to Louisiana-Monroe today, which is National Signing Day.

&uot;ULM likes his athletic ability. I think he’s one of those guys who falls in that athlete category,&uot; Harkins said. &uot;He’s just a puppy now. I’ve gotten to work with him for two years and, to me, he still has a tremendous amount of growing to do.&uot;

Washington, who chose ULM over Southern Univeristy, offensively caught 30 balls for 569 yards and six touchdowns for a Block team that made it to the quarterfinals of the Class 1A playoffs.

Defensively, the explosive end recorded 83 tackles, 16 of which went for a loss, and 11 sacks.

Washington is thought to be the first Block player to sign with a Division-IA program since Shawn Fagan committed to Tulane in the late 1980s.

Presumably, he will be the only IA signee in all of Cenla, as Bunkie athlete Jamelle Juneau had pledged his name to I-AA power McNeese State and Winnfield’s Jarvis Edwards will sign with Southern Arkansas, a Gulf South Conference opponent of Delta State’s.

&uot;That makes me real proud to know I’m the only one who accomplished that in this area. I’ve come a long way,&uot; Washington said.

Washington, who received calls from McNeese early on, chose Monroe over Southern for proximity and independence reasons.

&uot;It certainly made a difference with Baton Rouge two hours away and Monroe just an hour and 15 minutes,&uot; said Washington, who hopes to major in criminal justice. &uot;All my friends go down there (Southern) and I didn’t want to get caught up with them. I wanted to be myself where I can make new friends. I know I can better my education&uot; at Monroe.

Harkins was surprised schools, such as Northwestern State &045; a school Harkins himself played for before suiting up for Arkansas-Monticello &045; did not show more interest in Washington.

Ultimately, Harkins believes that the Indians, a team that was 1-11 under first-year head coach Charlie Weatherbie in 2003, are a perfect fit for his prized Bear.

&uot;We wanted him to have the opportunity to play &045; whoever was interested,&uot; Harkins said. &uot;Jeremy did this all himself. He’s the one who’s (6-5), not me.&uot;

Washington’s size and margin for maturing are two ingredients that make him a versatile commodity for ULM.

If the Indians are so obliged, they might even think about playing Washington at an outside linebacker spot for instance, Harkins surmised.

&uot;I don’t know whether I want to play offense or defense. They can put me at tackle,&uot; Washington said. &uot;As long as I can play. I just want to get an education and help the team out wherever I can.&uot;

Already solidified as a linebacker, Trinity Episcopal standout Ivan Nastally said Tuesday he’ll sign with Delta State today, joining former Saints athlete Chad Ridley with the Statesmen.

Nastally (6-2, 225) fell in love with the Cleveland campus’ atmosphere on his visit and is optimistic about next year since DSU lost a pair of linebackers to graduation.

&uot;It’s good opportunity for me to have a lot playing time as a freshman,&uot; said Nastally, who racked up 84 tackles for a Trinity team that finished 13-1 and the MPSA Class A runner-up. &uot;They expect me to start some time into my first year.&uot;

He is chomping at the bit to see where he stacks up against a different class of competition.

&uot;I went out my freshman year and set a goal for myself about going out and playing at the next level,&uot; Nastally said. &uot;I just want to go out and do my best and making my parents and everybody else proud of me.&uot;

Former WCCA offensive guard/linebacker Brandon Farrar is leaning toward staying at Southwest Community College, SWCC head coach Dom Green said.

Farrar received interest from New Mexico and Memphis.

Former Adams Christian quarterback Ty Smith is walking-on at Southern Miss, according to his father, Cathedral assistant Bert Smith.

Ty Smith, under center at Co-Lin the last two seasons, turned down offers from Belhaven, Mississippi College and St. Mary’s in Kansas City, Mo.