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PORT NECHES — Two Port Neches-Groves High senior student athletes signed letters of intent to play sports at the collegiate level.

Grace Richard and Phoebe Borne were the main event Tuesday at the PNG high school gym, where coaches, family and friends gathered to watch them sign letters of intent to play college ball next year.

Richard elected to stay close to home and play soccer for the Lamar Cardinals next season, while Borne chose to continue playing softball at Southern Arkansas University Tech.

“It is amazing,” Richard said. “It has always been my dream to play college soccer. To be able to continue that is an amazing feeling. I am super excited. I’m just ready to play.”

Richard is anxious to play with several players on the Lamar team who are from Southeast Texas.

“There are plenty of my friends that were in my club (team),” she said. “They are all really great players. I can’t wait to play with them.”

Richard has been on the PNG varsity team for four years as a midfielder.

Borne said she feels fortunate to continue her playing career.

“I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to play here this year with all of the COVID,” she said. “This is my last year of high school, and I just didn’t know if I would get signed. My team let me know I had the potential to go further, and I am very grateful that a coach reached out to me and let me know she wanted me.”

Borne hopes to provide an example to her younger teammates who wish to continue playing through college.

“’I’ve always grown up to be that leader,” she said. “Those people are the ones I looked up to. I looked up to the ones that went to college to play a sport. That’s who I want to be.”

Borne is a three-year letterman for PNG softball.