McClung won’t reinvent wheel against Mustangs
By Dave MorrisonSports Editor
Greenbrier West coach Lewis McClung has been around long enough to know he doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel.
When his Cavaliers meet Mount Hope Friday night in a battle of two of the three teams tied for No. 2 (Williamstown is the other) in the latest state Class A ratings, the Mustangs can expect a heaping dose of Trent Walker.
“Anybody who’s watched us the last five, 10 years knows the brand of football we’re going to play,” McClung said. “We’re not fancy enough to do any of that stuff and I’m not smart enough to redesign the wheel.”
In fact, he hasn’t had to with Walker in the backfield.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Walker has 115 carries for 928 yards — second in the state — and has 14 touchdowns, 13 of them on the ground. In all four of the Cavaliers’ victories, Walker has topped 200 yards. He is averaging 232 yards and just over 28 carries per contest.
He, as Steelers coach Bill Cowher is fond of saying, likes to impose his will on the opponent.
“Trent runs hard,” McClung said. “He’s not flashy, not quick or speedy. But he is hard-nosed. The kids who are tackling Trent in the first quarter aren’t tackling him in the third and fourth quarter. He’s usually the one who makes the hit, not the one who takes the hit. People always ask me if I’m worried about the number of carries Trent gets, if I’m worried he’ll get hurt. Not the way he runs.”
McClung said his fullback reminds one of West Virginia fullback Owen Schmitt.
“That would be the one I would compare him to,” McClung said. “He isn’t necessarily going to break one long, but he gets the job done.”
Like Schmitt, Walker isn’t lighting up college recruiting service numbers.
“Mostly it’s (West Virginia Conference) schools,” McClung said. “He doesn’t have the speed and the other measurements that are required for a Division I back. He’s not going to run a 4.4 or 4.5 40. He isn’t 6-3. He doesn’t weigh 230. But if a team wanted a bruising back running back, that’s Trent. If he got in the right system, he could be an outstanding college player.”
And McClung believes his player deserves to be mentioned for the Kennedy Award, given to the state’s top prep player.
“I haven’t seen a player at any level that I’d trade for Trent,” McClung said. “Now, I don’t see a lot of those guys in the MSAC (Mountain State Athletic Conference) or anything. But he could play at that level. And in the right system, he’d have success.”
A couple numbers on the Greenbrier West-Mount Hope game:
Greenbrier West has won 15 straight regular-season games. The teams split their two previous games, Mount Hope winning 12-8 in 2004 and West winning 32-26 last year, after falling behind 26-6 at the half.
You certainly don’t have to point out Christian Edwards to Woodrow Wilson coach John H. Lilly.
And not just because he is a 6-foot-2, 212-pound speed demon.
Lilly remembers what the Cabell Midland runner did to the Eagles in the playoffs last year in a 38-35 Knights win when Edwards had 169 yards and four touchdowns.
“It’s a big challenge for us,” Lilly said. “He gave us fits last year. With us having a lot of new folks on defense, it’s a big challenge for us.”
Lilly remains impressed with the senior.
“I think he’s the best back in our conference,” Lilly said. “I don’t think there is any doubt to that. I think he rushed for 200 yards last week in a loss. I think he’s averaged over 150 yards three weeks in a row.”
There used to be a school of thought that said the single-wing was a run-oriented offense.
And for years, James Monroe coach David Witt adhered to that theory.
He still does. But he has added a new wrinkle that will help the Mavs down the road — a passing attack.
Quarterback Taylor Robertson, whose brother Andrew was a two-time all-stater known mostly for his ground work before graduating last spring, has been outstanding through the air.
He has completed 11-of-14 passes for 376 yards and four touchdowns.
Last week in a win over PikeView, Robertson was 8-of-10 for 222 yards and a touchdown.
Against Oak Hill the week before, though, Robertson didn’t attempt a pass. But he did rush for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
James Monroe is at Lincoln County Friday.
For the first time this season, No. 4 Liberty’s Josh Hodge was held under 200 yards.
In fact, he had just 86 yards against Oak Hill last Friday night.
The Raiders still earned an 8-6 victory, the winning points coming on a disputed safety call.
Hodge and the Raiders are off this week before hosting Sherman Sept. 29.
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| High School Sports | Thursday, September 21, 2006 |
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