News Photo by James Andersen Alpena High School athletes Mason Bray, left, Mason Mumford, center, and Luke Young, are pictured Wednesday at the high school after announcing their post-high school plans. Young will play football at Culver-Stockton University, Mumford will play basketball at Alpena Community College, and Bray will attend Northern Michigan University while also training in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Olympic Training Center in Marquette.

ALPENA — Luke Young will remain a Wildcat for a few more years.

The Alpena High School senior signed with Culver-Stockton College on Wednesday for football and will trade in his Alpena Green and White for Culver-Stockton’s Royal Blue and White.

“I’m feeling pretty good. I can’t wait,” Young said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Young was one of three Alpena High athletes to announce their post high school athletic plans on Wednesday, along with Mason Mumford — who signed with Alpena Community College to join the men’s basketball team — and Mason Bray — who will train with USA Wrestling at the Olympic Training Center in Marquette and also attend Northern Michigan University.

Young, a Big North Conference honorable mention last fall, caught seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown for Alpena.

He’ll join his new team — a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school in Canton, Missouri — which went 8-3 last season and is ready for whatever challenges come his way.

Young said he plans to pursue studies in marketing.

“I’m ready for whatever,” Young said. “It was really nice (when I visited the school). I really liked the experience of going out and seeing what other places are like.”

Mumford averaged 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds for the Wildcats during the 2021-22 season and was a Big North Conference honorable mention.

He’ll join a team that also signed Onaway center Jager Mix for next season and could also return more than a half dozen players.

“I feel great. It kind of came out of nowhere. Coach Bobby (Allen) reached out to me and I just said, ‘Yeah I’m ready’ and now I’m playing,” Mumford said.

Mumford — who plans to pursue automotive studies — plans to stay active this summer and keep working out as he prepares to adjust to the rigors of the next level.

“Of course the level of skill and probably getting good chemistry with new teammates (will be different),” Mumford said. “It’ll feel good (playing close to home), it’ll feel like I’m playing here at the high school.”

Bray was a two-time state qualifier for the Wildcats in wrestling and will shift his focus to training twice a day, every day as a Greco-Roman wrestler in Marquette. In his senior season, he won more than 40 matches, including 34 of his first 35 bouts and qualified for the Division 1 finals at 171 pounds.

Northern Michigan’s program debuted in 1999 to train wrestlers in the Greco-Roman style for potential success on the World Championship and Olympic stages.

Bray reached out to the program during a visit to Marquette last summer and later got an offer to train. He hopes to make the U23 national team and plans to pursue criminal justice studies at NMU.

“A big part of (my interest) was the style of wrestling. It’s a lot different than high school wrestling, it’s only upper body so only throws,” Bray said. “I’ve done that style a little bit in the past during the offseason and really liked it. There are opportunities I’ll get up there I can’t get anywhere else.”