They celebrated this day with cupcakes and commemorative pens, with red roses and camcorders.

No matter whether they stood on makeshift stages in high school cafeterias or sat beneath trophy cases glimmering in the morning sun, national signing day in Colorado brought with it a realization a new chapter was about to begin.

There was joy at Mullen, where a kid who didn't care much for football two years ago was on his way to California after blooming as an offensive tackle.

There was excitement at Arapahoe, where the stage seemed almost too small to hold seven college-bound members of the girls soccer team, the latest legacy of a program that has won nine state championships.

And there was relief at Legacy, where the best player in the state, defensive end Nick Kasa, felt comfortable in Colorado black and gold, even if it meant deleting a

Facebook account to halt the mild hate mail that came with his decommitment from Florida.

"It's over now," said Kasa's father, Larry, after his son signed a letter of intent with CU. "It's time to settle back and wait for the season to start."

For some, that would mean saying goodbye to lifelong friends as they headed to different parts of country for college.

Others wouldn't even have to change school colors, with Mullen players Alex Logan and Charles Ragland looking right at home in Cal blue and gold, right down to the shoes on their feet.

If only they could have persuaded teammate Ryan Hewitt to join them.

Grin and bear it

Hewitt, a tight end on Mullen's Class 5A state championship team, proudly wore Stanford red after signing on with the prestigious Pacific-10 Conference school.

"At first, it was easy, then I started second-guessing myself," Hewitt said. "But I realized I made the right decision."

He looks forward to the day Stanford battles Cal, where Logan and Ragland will be playing next season.

Logan, a safety, made the decision to head to Cal first, then stayed on Ragland's back until he joined him.

Though Mullen athletic director Tony Schenbeck was excited for all 16 student-athletes who signed letters Wednesday, seeing Ragland sign was special.

"He's come as far as anybody," Schenbeck said of the tall, quiet kid who transferred as a sophomore from Alameda. "He basically came to play basketball. Who would have ever thought he would blossom into a football player and that he's going to go to the University of California?"

Logan's great-grandmother was particularly excited about the two teammates going to Cal considering she makes her home in Northern California.

In the beginning, Logan was deciding between Cal and Washington, where older brother Alvin Logan Jr. is a receiver.

"We sweated over that a long time," father Alvin Logan said. "They always competed against each other growing up, and they're going to have a lot of fun doing it in college, I think."

Lucky seven

Coach Kirk Bast will be the first to admit the tradition started long before he arrived. But there's no denying Arapahoe remains a powerhouse when it comes to girls soccer.

That was evident when seven girls walked off the stage in the school cafeteria having committed to take the tradition to the next level - the NCAA.

"It's a huge compliment to them and all their teammates," said Bast, whose daughter, Kaitlin, signed to play for the University of Denver. "The other thing I love about it is the kids still love the game and want to continue playing."

For most, after playing on club teams since they were little, it means heading in different directions once high school ends.

Not so for Kaitlin Swanson and Davonne Holland, who will attend Creighton University in Omaha.

"It will be a lot better going to college with someone you know, someone you can room with and feel comfortable with on the field," Swanson said.

Others said it would be difficult going separate ways, considering how close the team was.

Amy Barczuk opted to stay local and sign with CU.

"I considered my out-of-state options but felt it was better to stay home," Barczuk said, noting her older sister is at CU and playing in Boulder will give her family a chance to watch her games.

Amanda Dennis signed with Winona State in Minnesota; Amber McKinnon with McPherson College; and Louise Timboe with Davidson.

How will they keep track of one another?

"I don't know. Probably

Facebook," Barczuk said.

Boulder move

Not so for Kasa, who deactivated his account after taking some heat for changing his mind about signing with Florida.

"People thought I was crazy," Kasa said. "I got some hate mail from guys who go to Florida. I don't take offense because I put them in a bad position, and think I deserved a little bit of that. But people around here are pretty glad I'm going to Colorado."

The 6-foot-7, 250-pound defensive end initially committed to Florida. Legacy coach Wayne Voorhees simply let Kasa know if he was wavering, CU coach Dan Hawkins was holding a scholarship for him.

While he was preparing for the All-American Bowl, Kasa told Voorhees he was thinking of changing his mind because of how much he liked Hawkins during the visit he had.

His parents also said Florida wanted Nick to play offensive tackle and bulk up, which didn't suit their son.

"He's been real mature in this whole process," Voorhees said. "Florida was one, but to tell Notre Dame and some of these big-time programs he was not interested was very difficult, and he handled it well. Once he made the decision to decommit, he called (Florida coach) Urban Meyer. I take my hat off to him."

Voorhees knows CU is getting a great one.

"He's the best we ever had," he said. "The biggest thing is his speed. Whether you're running toward him or away from him, he still makes plays."

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