TOM BEAN, Texas (KTEN)- In Tom Bean, the Tomcats are sending two of their football players to the college level.

Branson Ashlock isn't going very far. He is set to play tight end at Austin College.

McKay Young will be heading up to Arkansas to play defensive end at Hendrix College. He led Tom Bean in tackles for loss in 2023.

Both players certainly left their mark at Tom Bean. But now, they're excited to embark on the next chapter of their career.

"The coaches there were big on building something new, building something for the future, and that's what we did at Tom Bean," Ashlock said of Austin College. "I really wanted to continue that."

"The coaches, they treated me like family. They brought me in. They loved up on me," Young said of Hendrix. "They made me feel at home, just felt great there when I visited."