Ridgefield High School defensive lineman Bailey Meek couldn’t wait any longer to make a decision about his football future.
Despite not being able to visit campuses due to the pandemic, Meek ended his recruitment and announced his commitment on Saturday.
The former King’s Way Christian star, who transferred to Ridgefield this offseason, will play college football for Army West Point next year. The Cadets play out of West Point, N.Y., and are an independent team competing in NCAA Division I.
“All my offers came after quarantine started,” Meek explained. “I wanted to wait to commit until I could go on visits, but it just kept getting pushed back and back. I spent hours watching all the videos; Army feels like a place I can call home.”
Meek is a 6-foot-5, 255-pound three-star defensive lineman recruit. He expects to compete for playtime immediately at Army.
Meek had 14 college offers, including Dartmouth and Eastern Washington, but ultimately narrowed his choices to Air Force, Army and UNLV.
“Army has bigger and better football historically,” Meek said. “Army will set me up for life.”
Among the things that sealed Meek on his commitment was the education the United States Military Academy provides — he hopes to major in biology — and the facilities the football team uses.
“They’re top notch,” Meek said. “Army is definitely big-time football.”
Army finished 5-8 last season and is one of the teams that opted to compete this fall.
Meek was picked as the Trico League’s defensive player of the year in 2019 but is excited to join his new Ridgefield teammates — several have already started a fantasy football league with Meek — in the 2A Greater St. Helens League when football hopefully returns in the spring.
