Lakeland quarterback Zach Super took the next step in his football career by committing to attend and play for Chowan University during a Thursday signing at Lakeland High School.

Super’s last-minute heroics against King’s Fork High School helped the Cavaliers break new ground by advancing to the second round of the AAA playoffs for the first time.

“Coming up from when I was younger, watching other players signing the paper and everything, I’ve always wanted to put myself in the same shoes and be able to sign a letter of intent to go to school and get an education, but play football, as well,” he said. “So, it means a lot.”

Former Cavaliers head coach Glenwood Ferebee is known for his work in honing the talents of players at the quarterback position. Now the quarterbacks coach at Hampton University, Ferebee took out a moment to comment on Super and Chowan.

“I think they’re great for him,” Ferebee said.

He described Super as an incredibly hard worker who pushed himself to improve his play under Ferebee’s guidance.

“I don’t think that you can change a quarterback’s mechanics without him putting in the work to get it done,” Ferebee said. “And he put in lots, lots, lots of hard work to get it done.”

After initially not talking to any quarterbacks, Chowan began to follow Super closely and eventually gave him an offer.

“(Their) coach loves the way I throw the ball and feels that I could come right in and possibly play as a true freshman,” Super said. “So, that kind of nailed everything and put everything together for me.”

Super’s parents, Jeff and Alison, were present along with his older brother Jeffrey and younger sister Kristina.

“He was grateful for having the opportunity to come out here and play and help the team, and now he’s moving on with his future and we wish him nothing but the best,” Jeff Super said.

Alison Super was particularly pleased that her son will only be 45 minutes away from home.

“I’m going to get to go to his games, so I’m looking forward to that,” she said.

Super’s older brother, Jeffrey, who was an assistant coach at Lakeland this year, said the occasion was different from his own signing with the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

“I was in his shoes a couple years ago, so getting to see him sign, I couldn’t be prouder,” he said. “I’m more proud of him than I was of myself signing, from all the adversity that he went through.”

Zach Super transferred from King’s Fork High School to Lakeland as a sophomore, and as a result, was required to sit out for his sophomore season. He missed most of his junior year after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament early on and struggled at the beginning of his final year before recovering to put together a solid senior campaign.