Shelby County’s Anthony Palmieri, Eli Holliman sign to play college football together at Erskine

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

COLUMBIANA – Two of the biggest contributors to the Shelby County Wildcats’ incredible turnaround in 2024 will have the unique chance of not just playing college football, but doing so alongside one another.

Shelby County’s Anthony Palmieri and Eli Holliman are now preparing to play together at Erskine College in South Carolina after signing their written offers of athletic aid.

The pair celebrated their accomplishment with their families and teammates on Friday, Feb. 26 at a signing ceremony in the Shelby County High School library, and ever since, the anticipation for getting on campus has only grown.

“It’s definitely a blessing and I’m looking forward to it and ready to get a glimpse into college life,” Holliman said.

Palmieri shared Holliman’s excitement and saw the signing as a culmination of years of hard work and determination.

“It means a lot,” Palmieri said. “It shows me that all the work I’ve done finally paid off, and it’s a great opportunity and really excited about it.”

For Palmieri, the atmosphere around campus and the football facility was the biggest draw.

“I would say once I looked at all their facilities and their campus, that was really what drew me in the most,” Palmieri said.

For Holliman, it was how the area of Due West, S.C. felt familiar to the Columbiana area where he grew up, but he also remarked on the quality of their coaching staff.

“When I went on a visit to the school, it was a very similar place to home,” Holliman said. “Pretty country place. The coaches are all very nice and when they offered me and one of my best friends at the same time, it’s so hard not to go.”

Both Holliman and Palmieri played an essential part in Shelby County’s turnaround with their on-field performance.

Palmieri was an All-State Honorable Mention in 2024 after he rushed for a county-high 1,846 yards and scored 25 total touchdowns while working off a heavy load of 230 carries for the Wildcats’ run-based offense.

As for Holliman, his defensive efforts in the secondary gave him his own All-State Honorable Mention in 2023. He took that into his senior season in 2024 and 30 of his 38 tackles went down as solo tackles.

Beyond any statistical contribution though, the pair were crucial leaders in helping the Wildcats go from a 2-9 campaign in 2023 to an 8-3 mark and a runner-up finish in Class 5A, Region 3.

Holliman sees a lot of similarities between where the Erskine program is now and what Shelby County used to be, and he hopes that he and Palmieri can be part of building a strong culture for the Flying Fleet.

“It just reminds me a lot of Shelby County,” Holliman said. “They’re going through some of the same stuff we were previously going through, so I know what building the program system is like, and I feel like I could be a valuable player to them to build their program.”

Both players were also excited about the unique opportunity of playing for the same college football program together.

“That means a lot,” Palmieri said of signing alongside Holliman. “Me and Eli are like pretty much best friends, so it’s a good opportunity for me and him to play football at the next level together.”

Holliman echoed Palmieri’s optimism, and he looks forward to embarking on the next stage of life with someone who he knows well and who can motivate him to continue working to become a better player.

“It’s really just special that I can go somewhere with one of my best friends and just compete for at least the next year of my life, and I think it’ll be good just having someone that I know with me and someone that helps me get better at my craft, so we should definitely help each other out there,” Holliman said.

Holliman thanked his parents and the entire Columbiana community along with coach Zeb Ellison at SCHS and Christopher Williams at Erskine. Palmieri was similarly grateful to his coaches, teammates, family and all who supported him in his journey.

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