Coming off a beginning to varsity football that he could only dream about, Fonda-Fultonville’s Keegan Croucher is taking that dream to a different state.
The freshman three-sport athlete — most notably the award-winning quarterback for the football team that reached the Class C state championship game — announced on X Saturday that he will transfer to Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut in the fall.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Croucher was 179 of 284 passing for Fonda-Fultonville. He threw for 2,957 yards and 31 touchdowns, with just three interceptions. He was named the Section 2 Class C Player of the Year and was named to the first team of the Class C All-State Football Team. On Feb. 18, he received a scholarship offer from Indiana University.
“[Cheshire has] a great program,” Croucher said by phone. “It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It’s a solid program with a lot of Division I athletes on it. As a player, they can help me develop and help me get to where I want to be.”
Croucher said he reached out to Cheshire and Avon Old Farms after his football season ended.
I’m excited to announce that I will be transferring to Cheshire Academy to pursue my academic and athletic journey. @Coach_Mella @CAcatsFB1794 @markecke #team128 #gocats pic.twitter.com/TqSq7J1Ull
— Keegan Croucher (@KeeganCroucher) April 13, 2024
“After the year I had — I thought I had a pretty good year — it’s a delicate question,” Croucher said of his decision to leave Fonda-Fultonville.
“I just think he felt like he needed to develop and grow, and he wanted to be around Division I athletes to improve,” Damian Croucher, Keegan’s father, said. “He couldn’t go down south, my wife and I are teachers and can’t leave, so we asked what is the best option for Keegan? And it’s not just football, but baseball as well. The New England preps are fantastic programs. Keegan was thinking it was a perfect opportunity. We weren’t sure it would be this year, but at some point, if he wants to continue this journey he’s dreaming of…”
Cheshire Academy, founded in 1794, won the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council bowl championship this past season, over Avon Old Farms, under first-year coach Bill Mella, who has been coaching for over 35 seasons. In the past academic year, its football players have signed to attend Penn State, South Carolina, Miami, USC, Northern Arizona, Wagner, Yale, New Haven and Merrimack.
Damian Croucher said Keegan will skip basketball, which he played this season at Fonda, but was encouraged by Cheshire coaches to play both football and baseball. Also in the past academic year, Cheshire baseball players have signed to attend LIU, UMass-Lowell, St. John’s, Villanova, College of Charleston, Hofstra, UConn, St. Anselm, Bentley, Lesley and St. John Fisher.
Damian Croucher said there has been no discussion of Keegan reclassifying, and they are entering with him planning to be a sophomore.
“Obviously, I’m moving away from my parents, living in a dorm; it’s a change in my living,” Keegan said. “I think that will be the biggest difference. Also leaving my friends and distant family. It will be tough, but everyone has to make sacrifices at some point, and I think it will be the best for me in the long run.
“I just want to thank the Fonda coaches,” Keegan added. “They gave me a great opportunity, they put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. They gave me the keys to the offense. I am very grateful for everything.”
In his X post, Keegan said, “I’d like to take a moment to give my deepest gratitude to the Fonda Fultonville Community. Your support has meant everything to me. Whether it was on the field during the football season, baseball season, on the court, or even in the classroom, your encouragement has been an essential part of my journey. To my teammates, coaches and mentors, thank you for believing in me through every challenge and success. A special thanks to my family for their endless love and sacrifices. You’ve been a constant source of strength, helping me to pursue my dreams. I am excited to share that I will be transferring to Cheshire Academy and pursuing my academic and athletic journey. Team #128!”
The #128 is a reference to the fact that next year's Cheshire Academy football team will be its 128th.
