The Ranager name is synonymous with Millsaps College athletics. The latest member of the family to go there, however, will play for the school’s futbol team instead of its football team.

St. Aloysius soccer player Mary Ranager signed with Millsaps on Tuesday during a ceremony in the school’s library. She’s the fourth generation of Ranager to play sports at Millsaps — her grandfather Tommy coached, and her father Clay and some uncles all played the American version of football there, while her mother was a tennis player and her aunt was a cheerleader.

“I’m really excited to play soccer, but my family all went there. My great-grandfather and my dad and my uncle all played football, and I’m going to school to play soccer and continue that tradition,” Mary Ranager said.

As an NCAA Division III school, Millsaps does not offer athletic scholarships. Mary Ranager will, however, receive a package of academic and leadership scholarships and signed papers Tuesday accepting those. She has a 4.0 GPA and an ACT score of nearly 30.

Ranager picked Millsaps over offers from nearby Belhaven College and several junior colleges.

“It was a pretty easy decision,” Ranager said. “I’m so excited, and I’m thankful for all my coaches that have helped me.”

Ranager has been a star for St. Al’s soccer team since she first stepped onto the pitch as a seventh-grader. She scored 74 goals in her high school career, including 21 this season as St. Al reached the MAIS Class AAA semifinals.

The road to Millsaps has had its bumps, though. She tore her ACL in 2015, causing her to miss all of that season while St. Al was making a run to the Class AAA championship.

Even while hurt, Ranager kept up an impressive personal streak. In six years of high school soccer, she never missed a practice or a game. The season she was injured, Ranager still attended, cheered on her teammates and helped with managerial duties.

“We’ve been real pleased with her work ethic,” Clay Ranager said. “Even the year she didn’t put her shoes on her feet, she didn’t miss a practice. I coached for 13 years at Tallulah (High School) and Delta State and I never had a kid do that. I never did that as an athlete.”

Ranager rebounded from her injury to have two outstanding seasons. The midfielder totaled 36 goals and 21 assists as a junior and senior and played in the MAIS All-Star Game in December. Now she’ll get to continue her career, as well as a family tradition.

“I’m proud. I was the only senior (at St. Al) that even played soccer, and I’m excited to do it,” she said.