Plum tandem to continue football careers at St. Francis

By: Michael Love
Saturday, November 16, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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With the emotions of his final high school football game — a loss to rival Penn Hills on Oct. 25 — still fresh in his mind, Plum senior Darian Slaughter decided to commit to where he will play football for the next four years.

“That night, I called (St. Francis, Pa. defensive coordinator and recruiting coach Jeff) Craig and told him I wanted to be a part of his program and be a part of something great,” said Slaughter, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive end.

Slaughter announced his verbal commitment on X the next day.

A week later, Mustangs senior teammate Darian Nelson, a 6-1, 190-pound wide receiver and defensive back, added his name to the St. Francis verbal commitment list with an official announcement on X.

He said it is special for Slaughter and him, longtime friends, to make their decisions so close together and to continue on together in college.

“We’ve been friends since we were 9 years old, and our dream was always to go D-I and make it to the NFL, all of that,” Nelson said. “To live this out at the same school with one of my best friends, it is awesome. We want to come to St. Francis and bring our culture, our leadership, our skills and work hard to make a difference.

“Our last (Plum) game was a punch to the gut when it was over. But at the same time, we knew it was time to refocus and start to get ready for college and prepare to take that next step. We’re excited for this opportunity.”

Nelson also credited Craig for his work in making St. Francis football an attractive landing spot for the Mustangs standouts.

“He’s puts a lot of effort in getting to know the players he hopes to bring into the program,” Nelson said. “He really loves the game. St. Francis is big on connections, and he’s really good at making them.

“I was weighing everything, and I had questions, but I then realized that St. Francis was the place for me.”

Nelson and Slaughter will finalize their decisions Dec. 4, the first day of the early-signing period for football.

“Talking with coach Craig and the other coaches, you instantly want to be in their program,” Slaughter said.

“They really know what they are talking about. I see myself fitting into that edge position on defense. That really led to my decision.”

Slaughter said being in the Plum football program, with a former Division I football player in Matt Morgan (Pitt) at the helm, helped Nelson and him be ready to make that leap to St. Francis.

“Our (Plum) team works the hardest, even though our record might not have always been the greatest,” Slaughter said. “But we put in the time in the offseason every single year. We were conditioned, and we were really successful in 7-on-7s.

“Just all of the preparation made us mentally tougher, and the work we put in helped us get ready for the transition to college football. Plum gave us a great foundation.”

As a senior, Nelson caught 35 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns and added 253 rushing yards and three scores. He also threw six passes for 152 yards. Defensively, he recorded 44 tackles, picked off two passes, and recovered a fumble.

Slaughter was a defensive force for the Mustangs in 2024 with 37 tackles, 15 of them for a loss. He led the team with 10 sacks.

“God has a plan for everybody. It is a blessing that he gave me more years with (Nelson),” Slaughter said. “We’re part of a group of highly recruited players coming to St. Francis. I expect a lot, and I am really excited to see what we all can do.”

Signing day celebration

While Slaughter and Nelson will make their decisions final Dec. 4, two other Plum seniors — Dani Pici (softball) and Kaleigh Smith (swimming) — have agreed to continue their athletic careers at the Division II level with Charleston (W.Va.) and PennWest Edinboro, respectively.

They both signed on the dotted line Nov. 13, the first day of the early-signing period for all NCAA non-football Division I and II sports.

Pici, a multiyear letter winner and all-star at catcher for the Plum softball team, will play for Taylor Welch, a former assistant at Gannon who is in her first year as the Charleston head coach.

“I had a little connection with her when she was at Gannon,” Pici said. “I went down to their camp (Oct. 13), and after the camp, she wanted to talk about offering me. It just grew from there.

“I am really excited with the way the whole team is like one big family. It just felt like home and a place where I knew I could be really successful.”

Smith, a team leader specializing in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 individual medley with experience competing at the WPIAL swimming championships, hopes to make a quick impact with the Fighting Scots.

“The men’s and women’s programs at Edinboro are really strong and supportive of each other, and I am excited to be a part of that environment,” Smith said. “It is a place where I can really grow as a swimmer. I am super excited to see what I can do over the next four years.”

Four additional Plum seniors were celebrated Nov. 13 for their college decisions.

Michael Tedrick will join the baseball team at Penn State Altoona, Zack Osborne has committed to the men’s lacrosse program at LaRoche, Bryce Bobich will be a member of the Thiel men’s soccer team, and Anthony Jump will take his baseball talents to Westmoreland County Community College.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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