Maryvale Football Player Scores a Collegiate Milestone for School

Rogelio Albiter, a senior at Maryvale Prep who goes by RJ, signed his Letter of Intent to play football at Ottawa University at the academy’s National Signing Day Ceremony. National Signing Day has traditionally been the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for a collegiate sport with a school. College football’s National Signing Day is historically the first Wednesday of February.

While other Great Hearts student athletes from around the network also celebrated signings on the same day, this was a particularly great moment for the academy as RJ is the first full-time Maryvale Prep scholar to sign to play collegiate football. During the ceremony, RJ was surrounded by his family, his teammates, and his friends who celebrated the quarterback’s milestone.

RJ has played since the start of the academy’s football journey, from flag football to tackle football. “My best memory is winning the state championship here at Maryvale Prep,” said RJ. The Matadors played back-to-back CAA State Championship Games and won the State Championship in 2022. “It definitely feels like all the hard work paid off,” he said.

This is a very special moment for Athletic Director Rich Galewski, who has known him since RJ was in the fourth grade. “For him to be able to have the ambition and drive to pursue excellence on the football field at such a young age and to follow his dream and his passion to playing college football is truly commendable and it’s an honor to be a part of today for sure,” said Galewski.

“Seeing our guys go on to further their life through a college education, through the sport of football is awesome,” said Head Football Coach Tom Barringer. “Not everybody gets that opportunity. It’s pretty tough… and thinking about the four years of hard work they put in here to get there really just makes me proud as a coach to see what they were able to do with the tools that we gave them here both in the classroom and on the field.”

RJ is a humble young man who was quiet and reserved during the ceremony, not used to being the center of attention. “He’s s really down earth guy,” Barringer said. “[He]leads by example and has grown a lot in his four years here. He’s been through a lot that would make a lot of other guys quit the sport of football, drop out of school…. And he has really persevered through all of it and that’s going to provide him so much success at the next level and into his life for him to be able to have the ambition and drive to pursue excellence.”

RJ’s coaches, teachers, and school leaders all said they expect great things for the humble and sometimes quiet scholar, both on and off the field. “RJ, you’ve committed yourself to the community here and the community loves you back for it,” said Barringer to RJ during his speech.

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