By Dave Morrison
Chase Lafferty still remembers vividly the first time he played football.
It wasn’t that long ago.
“I was in seventh grade,” Lafferty said. “I was always too heavy to play (midget football). It was hard. All the guys would be in school talking about their games and I couldn’t relate.”
He sure can now. The senior, who finished second in the Hunt Award (lineman of the year) voting last year, spent most summer weekends at camps and on unofficial visits to different schools.
He hopes all that work, not to mention travel, will pay off.
“My technique is definitely a lot better than it ever was,” Lafferty said. “I used to just rely on strength. Now, it’s a combination and I think that will make me an even better player.”
Lafferty is being heavily recruited by several Division I schools.
Pirates’ running back Drew Weis said he didn’t figure Lafferty a football player when they first met.
“When we first met, he was a big kid but he wasn’t playing,” said Weis, who has over 3,800 yards rushing in his Fayetteville career. “When he finally went out I figured he’d be a tight end. He was as tall as he is now just about and he can still catch pretty well. I’m glad he’s one of the linemen. I think he’s just about as good as it gets.”
Fayetteville (10-2 last year after a second season of being ousted in the second round of the Class A playoffs) will open the season at Oak Hill on Friday.
Milk Mustache for East’s Lilly?
It would be appropriate if Greenbrier East running back Nathan Lilly wore a milk mustache under his helmet on game night.
Lilly was injured in the Spartans’ second scrimmage in the MSAC grid-o-rama last year and it looked like the two broken bones in his wrist would cause him to miss most of the season.
Not Lilly. He had a plan.
“I drank a lot of milk,” he said, alluding to the belief that milk builds strong bones.
By the time he got back, the Spartans were reeling.
In six games he had close to 600 yards rushing and his four rushing touchdowns led the team. In fact, it was twice as many as any other player scored.
Lilly thinks the addition of Aaron Baker as coach will begin a turnaround for a program that has gone 12-58 over the last seven seasons and hasn’t made the playoffs since 1998.
“His first year at Eastern Greenbrier (Middle School) was my last year there, so we knew coach,” Lilly said. “When he came here, everything was different. He’s so enthusiastic. He loves us all. I mean he genuinely cares about his players. He wants to see us do well. Knowing he has that confidence in us, we want to go out and make him look good, too.”
Greenbrier East opens hosting Lincoln County Friday.
Ballangee back
behind center
Nobody was more ecstatic when James Monroe coach Don Jackson ended a six-year hiatus and returned to the Mavs’ sideline last year.
Jackson’s return — he replaced Dave Witt — signaled the end of the single wing.
And a return to the offensive side of the ball for Ballangee.
“I really hadn’t played offense,” Ballangee said. “When I did it was rare. There was no need for a quarterback in (the single wing).”
Ballangee had been a middle school quarterback, so going back up under center didn’t bother him.
“The main thing was getting the offense down,” Ballangee said. “Taking snaps was no problem.”
The Mavs sputtered offensively through a bulk of the season, winning with defense.
But they caught fire in the playoffs, advancing to the semifinals where they lost 13-7 to Magnolia.
Ballangee is engaged in a quarterback dual this season with Andrew Evans, who has played well when given the chance.
“I want to be the quarterback,” Ballangee said. “But as long as we win, that’s all right by me.”
The Mavericks’ open the 2009 season ay Narrows, Va.
Who replaces Marion?
The biggest loss in the area is at Mount Hope, where Eddie Souk losses Class A first-team all-state captain Da’Von Marion.
Marion rushed for over 2,000 yards and led the state in scoring last year. He is now a walk-on at WVU.
Replacing Marion can’t be done, Souk said, but he also sees a positive side.
“Last year people knew who the horse was and they were keying on that,” said Souk, who was able to run Marion anyway because people couldn’t stop him. “They’re not going to be able to key on one back this year. We’re going to spread it around. And I think that will be a big advantage we’re going to have and we’re going to use it.”
Mount Hope opens hosting Big Creek Friday night.
— E-mail: demorrison@
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