Ray Lee has established one of the better Class AAA football programs in the area.
Look no further than the fact Greenbrier East is making its third playoff trip in four years. It’s a sign the Spartans have become more than a team – they’re a program. It’s helped them prepare for this upcoming playoff trek as they enter familiar waters, but the one thing missing is a playoff win.
They’re hoping their fortunes change this time around and Lee has reason to believe they will.
“For the past few days we’ve been at practice it’s just been business and I’ll say it – fun at the same time,” Lee said. “Guys know what they’re supposed to do, they know their expectations on our plays and they’re getting through them without any kinds of mistakes or questions. Every now and then we make a correction here and there but it’s been a pretty smooth practice so far. No nervousness or anything like that. I just told them ‘this is your stage and your one chance.’ We want them to have fun and then take care of business.”
Taking care of business won’t be easy as the No. 8-seeded Spartans welcome No. 9 George Washington, a team that poses some challenges for East. For starters the sheer size of the Patriots stands out when Lee puts on the film.
“Right off the bat they’re really big,” Greenbrier East head coach Ray Lee laughed. “They’re real big up front and on both sides of the ball. That’s something that we just have to be ready for.”
Personnel wise the Spartans feel good about how they match up, bringing their own blend of talent and speed. Quarterback Monquelle Davis is a dynamic athlete that can extend plays when they break down. He’s picked up 502 yards with his legs and 989 with his arm this season while running back Ian Cline has rushed for 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns.
One mystery surrounding the game concerns the status of GW’s sophomore QB Abe Fenwick. The Patriots’ signal caller threw for over 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns in eight games but broke a bone in his hand in October. It’s unclear whether or not he’ll be available for Friday’s contest.
“I’ve been hearing it but I haven’t really followed up on it,” Lee said. “I heard when they played their last football game they played a freshman or a JV guy and if that’s who’s on tape, he doesn’t look like a freshman or a JV guy. He actually played well.”
Even without Fenwick, beating the Patriots won’t be easy. When looking for ways to exploit them Lee has come up mostly empty, shifting the onus to the play of his team, noting their margin for error is small.
“They’re just a solid football team,” Lee said. “I can’t pinpoint anything we can attack. We just have to go out and play and just like any other team we play against, and I stress this to our players all the time, whenever you’re playing against a good football team you have to be ready. They’re no. 9 and we’re No. 8 so you’re talking two top 10 teams playing against each other. You can’t make mistakes. You have to take advantage of every opportunity that’s given to you and then you’ve got to minimize your turnovers. Those are the things we stress to our guys. That and eliminate penalties. So if you’re talking about taking advantage those are the things we have to do in order to be in the football game with these guys.”
The Spartans will open postseason play Friday when they host George Washington. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
