WHEELING — The Marietta football program has had success recruiting Linsly School players in the past.

The Pioneers are hoping that trend continues since they recently added another pair of Cadets to their roster.

During a ceremony at the school last week, wide receiver Trevin Tush and defensive lineman Chance Knight officially announced their intentions to continue their academic and athletic careers with the Pioneers.

TUSH was one of the key contributors for Coach B.J. Depew’s offense the last several seasons.

“It’s very exciting to have this (college selection) process out of the way,” Tush said. “I’m really looking forward to being able to play with my former (Linsly) teammates (Gage and Vic Giovengo) for another few years.”

Tush settled on the Pioneers despite several Division II schools expressing interest. It simply boiled down to being comfortable.

“Marietta was a place that felt like home,” Tush explained. “The coaches and other players treated me really well when I visited and I just really come to love it.”

Tush had an impressive senior season for the Cadets, hauling in 36 passes for 535 yards. He also rushed for 148 yards. For his career, he made 99 receptions for 1,454 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. He also finished with 359 yards on the ground.

“I enjoyed my high school career and am going to miss playing for Linsly,” Tush said. “I will always look back fondly on my time here.”

Tush wasn’t limited to the offensive side of the ball. He posted 28 tackles and picked off three passes.

Along with being a four-year letterman and team captain, he received Linsly’s ‘Oustanding Offensive Player Award.’ Other post-season accolades Tush received included First-Team All-OVAC and First-Team All-Valley.

“I am just hoping to build a great career at Marietta, but I realize I have to get bigger and faster,” Tush pointed out. “Plus, I need to continue to keep learning the game mentally and be a smarter player, too.”

On top of football, Tush has earned four letters in basketball and two letters in track.

Trevin, who hopes to become a physician’s assistant, is the son of Doug and Kerri Tush.

KNIGHT, meanwhile, called it a “big relief” to have the college selection process out of the way.

“A lot of work led up to this and it’s such a big decision,” Knight admitted. “I am excited to be able to enjoy the rest of my senior year.”

Similarly to Tush, Knight was excited about the opportunity to play with former Cadets with the Pioneers.

“I know the Marietta area and having good friends there helped make Marietta feel like home,” Knight said.

Expected to make a push at defensive end, the 6-3, 235 pounder enjoyed a brilliant campaign for Coach B.J. Depew’s squad. He finished with 76 tackles, including 14 for loss, four sacks and he forced a fumble.

For his career, Knight posted 188 tackles, 35 for loss and 11 sacks.

On top of his defensive exploits, he was a solid offensive lineman for Linsly, grading out at 85 percent and posting 12 pancake blocks.

“I am hoping to contribute right away, but I know that I can’t let up,” Knight said. “I have to keep the mindset that I’ve had at Linsly. I am proud of my career and how it’s progressed and I’ve gotten better.”

It wasn’t until later in his career where Knight gave serious though to playing college football, but it’s a decision that became easier.

“It was never a priority, but my interest in grew as my career here went along,” Knight said.

A four-year letterman and team captain his senior year, Knight was named the team’s Most Valuable Player, received the coach’s award and after last season was named the Unsung Hero.

On top of those accolades, he was named All-OVAC, All-Valley and All-Times Leader.

Along with his football exploits, Knight is also a standout in wrestling where he lettered four times. He played in the OVAC Tournament last month and was named the team’s MVP and received the Hercules Award for most pins.

Chance, who is the son of Tom and Marianne Knight, plans to major in business.