FREDDY GONZALEZ | Staff Writer
LA FERIA — As Brandon Perez and La Feria track coach Evie Sanchez ripped off the banner concealing Perez’s preferred school of choice, so went the anticipation of the decision many had been waiting for.
Where would one of the Rio Grande Valley’s most prolific wide receivers go?
For the past two years there were murmurs of top level Division I programs eyeing him. But when the time came to decide, there was only one university that checked all the boxes for the La Feria star: Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma.
“When I first got to the school they treated me like family,” said Perez of SNU. “The school was nice and they had the program that I wanted to study, and, of course, it’s a full-ride so it was really hard to say no to that.
“Today was an emotional day for me because I’ve worked so hard for this moment. It’s a big day for me, my parents and for La Feria.”
While universities like SMU, LSU, UTSA and Rice wanted him as a preferred walk-on, a number of Division II and Division III schools like SNU were offering all-inclusive football scholarships. In total 30 schools were interested in Perez.
“Brandon is a bright young man that has also been a great teammate since his freshman year when he made the varsity team,” said La Feria head football coach Oscar Salinas. “He’s a kid that’s not only been our best player, but also a great student in school.
“He never missed practice and he never complained. He’s just one of those players that you get once in a lifetime.”
Another factor that played into Perez’s decision to select the Crimson Storm was that three Edinburg area students also signed with SNU, including Jaime Alaniz, Joey Carreon and Caleb Luna of Vela High School.
SNU in a Division II program that competes in the Great American Conference.