TIFTON — Tift County Blue Devils senior soccer player Ricky Garcia will be trading one blue uniform for another after he graduates this spring.

Garcia signed Wednesday to play for the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs, a blue-clad school northeast of Chattanooga.

“I’m real excited for the opportunity Ricky is getting,” said Tift head soccer coach Bobby Earls, who revealed he was a Tennessee Wesleyan alumnus.

Garcia has been a co-captain for the Blue Devils during the past two seasons. His play earned him a second team all-region pick in 2015 and 2016 as well as the squad’s Best Defender award in 2015 and Best Midfielder award in 2016. As a junior varsity player, Garcia earned Player of the Year in 2014.

Earls said his wife, Denise, considered Garcia to be her second son for all the time he spent playing with their actual son, Cameron.

“They’ve played center-mid (midfield) together for years,” said Earls.

Assistant coach Zac Martin told a story about a near-fight between Garcia and an opposing player two years ago. Martin said the incident showed him Garcia’s intensity.

“It says passion,” said Martin. “He cares. He has a big heart.”

Martin said it had been “an absolute honor and pleasure” to work with Garcia.

Tift County High principal Kim Seigler also offered her support at the signing ceremony.

“You’re going to make us proud,” said Earls.

At Senior Night last week Garcia said he was going to major in engineering.