By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---Jahmall Whittaker (Herbert Morris Tech/Queens, N.Y.), a sophomore midfielder on the Owens Community College men's soccer team, has signed with NCAA Division II Saginaw Valley State University.
Whittaker was a crucial member of an Owens defense this past season that held opponents to 17 games of one goal or fewer. He produced two assists, while starting every game on a team that finished 14-7-2 overall and came within a couple penalty kicks from winning a Region XII championship.
Prior to sitting out the 2014 season, Whittaker tallied one goal and one assist as a freshman. He started 11 games, but missed chunks of time due to injury.
"Jahmall comes to SVSU with a great playing background," said SVSU head coach Andy Wagstaff via SVSUCardinals.com. "He brings an athletic element to our team with a powerful physique and a hard tackling mentality. He will be responsible for dictating the tempo of the game from deeper in the build up, winning ground and aerial battles as well as being a player that will add some steel to an already technically-excellent midfield lineup."
Whittaker will join his former teammate, Bjion Campbell (Coconut Creek/Margate, Fla.), on the team. The duo were both freshmen on the 2013 team, but Whittaker redshirted in 2014, while Campbell took a year off after completing his two years in 2013 and 2014.
Saginaw Valley State University finished 15-4-1 overall last year, including a 12-2 mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). They advanced to the semifinals of the GLIAC tournament and earned a bid in the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the second round.
Whittaker becomes the fourth Owens men's soccer player to sign with a four-year school this year. He joins Campbell, Cooper Huslig (Mountain View/Tucson, Ariz.), who signed with NCAA Division II Northwood University, and Reiss Liggitt (Seminole/Birmingham, England), who signed with NAIA Webber International University.
Furthermore, Whittaker joins Campbell and two others as one of four Owens players to sign with SVSU in the past three years. Troy Watson and Joshua Kleinow inked with SVSU in the summer of 2014 after completing their time at Owens. Watson also made his debut for Detroit City FC in May of 2015.