VIDALIA — Sherrl Dixon didn’t want her son to go so far away for college that she couldn’t come watch his home games.

So when Vidalia senior guard Torrey Dixon selected Baton Rouge Community College as his school of choice, the decision left both him and his mother happy.

“I didn’t want him to be too far to visit and come see his games,” Sherrl Dixon said.

“I had issues with certain other schools we visited, and I did with BRCC at first, but getting to know (head coach Todd) Foster, he helped reassure me that he would take care of Torrey.”

For Torrey Dixon, the decision is a huge burden off his shoulders.

“It’s like lifting a ton off of my shoulders,” Torrey Dixon said. “It’s hard to leave home, but you’re going to have to leave some day. Once it’s time to leave, it’s time to leave.”

Sherrl Dixon said watching her son be able to earn a scholarship was a special moment for her.

“My first and oldest child is going off to college,” she said. “It’s a dream come true for a kid to go off to college and succeed.”

And leaving him in the hands of the BRCC coaching staff gives her no qualms, she said.

“I’ve come to know a lot about Todd,” Sherrl Dixon said. “He’s young, Torrey’s young, and he’s energetic and very demanding. I think they’ll be a good fit for each other.

“Also, he can win some games. I knew (going into the process) that the coach would have to be a winner. Couldn’t just anyone get Torrey — they have to win some games.”

Foster, who was on hand at Vidalia Tuesday as Torrey Dixon signed his letter of intent, said he thinks Torrey Dixon would fit in well at the BRCC program.

“He loves to play the game — I can tell just by watching how he plays,” Foster said. “He’s very productive on the court. Very skilled, and does a lot of things on the court extremely well. Off the court, he’s as good of a kid as I’ve ever recruited.”

Torrey Dixon said the comfort level he had when visiting BRCC sealed the deal for him.

“It had a great atmosphere, and I felt really comfortable down there,” Torrey Dixon said. “I get along great with the staff, and I feel like they’ll push me to my full potential.

“I like the fact that the coaches will make me do stuff I didn’t do in high school and help develop me as a player.”

For Foster, landing Torrey Dixon came down to making sure a Louisiana player didn’t leave Louisiana.

“I was born and raised in Louisiana,” Foster said. “I believe in Louisiana kids, so we’ve recruited Louisiana kids. When you have a kid as good as Torrey in the state, you want to keep him in the state.”