WELCH- Throughout the years, Mount View High School has always been known for it’s speedy playmakers, but this year’s Golden Knights may not resemble those teams of the past.
Ed Evans is one person familiar with the Mount View program, the former athletic director at the school can’t recall a time the Golden Knights had this much speed.
“This may be the fastest team Mount View has ever had,” Evans said.
Evans, a delegate in West Virginia’s 26th district, teaches at the school and is also the football team’s trainer.
Evans may be right, this may be the quickest, fastest, speediest team in Mount View history and according to coach Maruice Gravely, it is a special group of young men looking to do big things for the tiny McDowell County school.
Whether by air or on the ground the Golden Knights have opponents game planning for something that one cannot game plan for, which is speed.
“This group is something special,” Gravely said.
Junior quarterback Ryan Long has come a long way since his freshman year at Mount View. Long in his second year as the starting quarterback has thrown for 1,733 yards and 24 touchdowns this season.
“The offense is balanced out,” Gravely said. “At any point we stand a chance to light it up and the fact that we are 50/50 has been a strength for us.”
Long’s favorite targets include seniors Tony Bailey and Justin Haggerty and junior Jaylen Hall.
Bailey leads the team with 37 receptions for 626 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hagerty is second on the team with 19 receptions and six touchdowns and third in receiving yards with 368 yards. Hall ranks second on the team in receiving yards with 504 and is third in receptions with 17 and touchdowns with five.
“Those guys can really stretch the field and stretch the defense,” Gravely said.
Senior TJ Bell leads the rushing attack with 873 yards and eight touchdowns on 104 carries. Justin Haggerty has rushed for 593 yards on 36 carries and scored five touchdowns for the Golden Knights this season.
“The diesel (TJ), who can take it down at any time or go inside-outside,” Gravely said. “TJ has really come into his own.”
With a number of guys stepping up each week, opposing defenses have difficulty determining who to game plan for each and every week.
Jaylen Hall, who had just 12 receptions for 351 yards entering last week’s regular season finale at Greenbrier West, caught five passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns in the Golden Knights come-from-behind 18-14 victory over the Cavaliers.
It is performances like those that have Mount View thinking of a deep run in the postseason and performances like those that have fans wondering if this is indeed the fastest Mount View team in school history.
