Recruiting: Permian soccer players decide to sign together with UTPB

In their search to figure out where to spend their college years, three Permian High School boys soccer players came to the same conclusion.

Panthers goalkeeper Chris Benavides, defender Austin James and midfielder Mason Vincent all looked around at some different programs before deciding there's no place like home.

If nothing else, it made the wardrobe choice easy Wednesday for National Signing Day in the Permian library as the three Panthers teammates signed to play collegiately for the UTPB men's soccer team.

All three adorned gray shirts from the NCAA Division II program they hope to taking the field for in just a few months.

"These guys are my best friends, so it's going to be a good experience," Vincent said. "It's kind of comforting just to know you know somebody going into the situation. It's not just a bunch of total strangers."

The Falcons recruit throughout the state, with head coach Dennis Peterson saying the team got a letter of intent signed Wednesday by Stephenville attacker Shelby Sharp.

However, the backbone of the program certainly is in Odessa and Midland. With Permian's three signees at the center of the team's 10-0 start this season, that should be a good thing for the Falcons.

"They're a Division II school and they play a lot of the schools I was looking at," said Benavides, who was named the district's top goalkeeper last season as a junior for Permian. "I know what we're going to have next year and we can win against the other teams I was looking to play for. It's here, it's a Division II school, and I just figured being here was better."

Benavides also will get the opportunity to play with older brother Michael Benavides, who has played both defensively and in the midfield for UTPB.

James hasn't played since the opening weekend of the season for Permian because of a leg injury, so he can't wait to get back on the field both for the Panthers and in the future for the Falcons.

"I know most of the players at UTPB and they're good friends of mine," James said. "It's real exciting. I've loved playing with these guys my whole life and just to get to continue it for the next four years is going to be a blessing for me."

For the UTPB women's team, Peterson announced the signing of Midland Lee goalkeeper Victoria Ramirez, who has been one of the best players at her position in West Texas the last couple of seasons.