Cyclones two sport standout Dalton Mitchell chooses basketball, signs with the Buffs

Published 1:57 pm Monday, April 10, 2023

By Ron Marvel

Star Correspondent

Competitor, it’s an overused word in sports, but coaches will typically use it with athletes that have an attitude that allows them to thrive in athletics; even though it may be overused in this case, there may not be a better word to fit Dalton Mitchell; whose accolades were not only regional and county but extended to the classroom as well.

This week Dalton Mitchell, who excelled on both the football field as a QB/Safety and the basketball court as a shooting guard, chose sneakers over cleats and put pen to paper to extend his athletic career. For Dalton, the idea of playing basketball at the next level carried a lot of weight, “the dream of playing basketball at the next level has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, getting to do it at Milligan a place I have known since I was a little kid is just so special.” Mitchell would continue to share just how much it meant to continue to wear the black and orange at Milligan University, “the coaches just stood out to me; they really care. I went to a bunch of their camps when I was younger, being near home helps too.”

When Mitchell reflected on his time as a Cyclone, community comes to mind, “a special moment for me was going into the elementary school as a senior and seeing the kids react; it was a great memory for me coming from North Carolina; It’s just different here,  this town has our backs.” Mitchell moved here in his sixth-grade year and one of the people whom he met very early on was Ryan Witten, who Mitchell credits for making a real difference not only in his athletic career but in his life, “first off Ryan was and is my go to guy when I need something.” Ryan talked as well about what it’s been like to see Mitchell grow not only as a player but as a person, “he loves competition, his mindset just flips to another level whether it was a game, practice or a scrimmage in the moments when we needed him the most he stepped up and played his best, I love him like he’s my own, he made me a better coach!” For Mitchell, though his list of coaches whom he owes was long “in middle school it was coach Johnson who is now at Heritage he made a difference in my growing up, Coach Honeycutt helped me a lot with the recruiting process and becoming a better player and Coach Shawn Witten was always encouraging me in football or whatever I wanted to do he was there to give me support.” EHS Head Basketball Coach Honeycutt talked about how Mitchell will be remembered: “Dalton is first a competitor, a two sport athlete who contributed to winning in both football and basketball.” Dalton’s memories of the games and the competition will stay with him for a long time but when you talk to him, the competitor comes out quickly as he looks more at those final losses than the wins. The one word he gives to the kid taking his locker room space next year would be to “lead the team; adversity will come, keep going, do the right thing in practice.”

The choice between basketball and football was an easy one for Mitchell, “there is just something about basketball, the trash talking, the competition, I’ve just played since I was little; it was my first love,” Mitchell shared. Milligan head basketball coach shared what about Michell made him a fit for the program, “he is a competitor, and we believe his best basketball is in front of him; he is a great kid and a great addition to our program and campus.”

Competitor, another way it can be defined is as the quality one possesses that you look for when going into a contest or battle; in that sense, there may be no better way to define Dalton Mitchell as a person and player.