AHOSKIE – Four more Hertford County gridiron stars are continuing their playing days.

Tuesday afternoon the Bears added running back Travis Greene, defensive backs Nathaniel Hudgens and Andre Lyles and linebacker Marcel Henneghan to the ranks of those headed to play college football.

Those four combine with four who signed a week ago to give HCHS eight players heading off to college to continue their playing career in the fall of 2007. They join Danny Dembry, Tydreke Powell, Dominique Gatling and LaMarcus “Buck” Jenkins as signees.

“I don’t know if they’ve done this before as Hertford County High School,” Bear football boss Greg Watford said. “We may have accomplished it back in the 70s but I don’t know if we’ve sent this number recently.

“I think it says a lot about what we’re doing here,” he continued. “We’re trying to do things the right way and when you do that, good things happen. These kids have worked hard and their hard work has paid off with the chance to continue playing at the next level.”

Henneghan will be the one player everyone locally can continue to follow as he inked a pact to attend Chowan University in Murfreesboro. The senior standout and member of the All-Roanoke-Chowan football team, said he liked what he saw at Chowan.

“I think it’s a good school in the rise,” Henneghan said. “I want to be part of something special.”

The senior said the move to National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II level was key in his choice to play there and added he was looking forward to playing at home.

Henneghan becomes the first HCHS player to join Chowan since the move to Division II and since the addition of second-year coach Lorick Atkinson.

The CU football skipper was pleased to be adding Henneghan to his linebacking corps.

“We’re pleased to have a local player coming from a winning program,” Atkinson said. “We feel like Marcel can contribute to our program and we’re excited about having him and all of our other signees.”

The other three players signing Tuesday morning will all be playing together as Greene, Hudgens and Lyles will all join the Fayetteville State University Broncos.

Greene, who was one of the leading running backs in the area this season, will get the chance to see playing time right away at the same position.

He said he signed with FSU because he liked the location and the opportunity.

“It’s close to home and they offered me a full ride,” Greene said. “Also, there is a good probability I could start right away.”

Greene said having Lyles and Hudgens on the way to Fayetteville with him was also key for him signing.

Hudgens, who will play at cornerback, particularly liked the environment the school offered.

“I picked it because it feels like a home environment,” he said. “The coaches are good with the players and are easy to understand.

“I like the small campus environment,” he continued. “I felt like I would get lost on a large campus.”

Lyles will join Hudgens in the defensive secondary for the Broncos after signing to play free safety.

“I went down there and I liked it,” Lyles said. “They offered me a free ride so I took it because getting a free education was important to me.”

Watford said the four players signing at D-II schools all had Division I talent.

“The key with all those guys is they were late bloomers,” he said. “All have D-I size and ability, but they came of age in their senior years.

“With recruiting today beginning when kids are sophomores, that gave the D-II schools a chance to get some really good players.”