/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_2vmsi045wvip5o453zp4sjng_0f3ae265-9b7a-456c-be74-6397a64111c4_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:56:34 GMT 15 By Jalyn Marks
For the past four years, spectators of Dominion’s home football games can attest to hearing the energetic shout of history teacher Steve Hicks in the speakers, excitedly calling out, “DEANDRE REAVES!!!” Next year, Reaves hopes to hear the same enthusiasm as he displays his talent for the Mountaineers for the first time, since he will be attending West Virginia University (WVU) as a freshman on a full-ride football scholarship. “I’ve been playing football for awhile,” said Reaves, understating. He has been playing football since he was five years old, for Reston Youth Association (RYA). Later, Reaves went on to play for Lower Loudoun Boys Football League (LLBFL), and finally for the Titans, at first for Mike Dougherty for his freshman year, and then for Karl Buckwalter for his next three and final high school seasons. Reaves said all of these teams have “helped a lot, brought out my skill, [and] recognized my talent.” “Deandre played running back the year I coached him. I didn’t want to overwhelm him in his freshman year by playing both ways. He was also a very dangerous kick returner,” Dougherty said. Over Reaves’ career with Buckwalter, he has played the positions of corner back, running back, quarterback, and receiver. At WVU, Reaves will be playing as a slot receiver and a running back, but Reaves said, “I’ll play anywhere.” “It’s a very good coach to player, player to coach relationship,” Buckwalter said. “It’s been fun coaching him.” Buckwalter helped Reaves by sending films of him playing to multiple schools and through his connection with WVU’s running back coach, Chris Beatty, along with other recruiters whom he had come to know as a result of his own 20 years of coaching experience. Beatty was unable to comment on Reaves, in order to coincide with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) restriction on publically commenting on a potential student-athlete who has not yet signed. “[My coaches] have already been through this process. [They] know schools, know me, know how I adapt to things, so [they] basically just tell me where they think I’ll fit in, and I just pick and choose from their recommendations,” Reaves said. Buckwalter also said that Reaves has a good relationship with his teammates and family. “[Without] my family, making these decisions would be challenging. They give me all of the support I need,” Reaves said. “I wish my son the best of luck at WVU both in the classroom and on the field,” said Nicole Reaves, Reaves’ mother. Many people who have worked with Reaves have considered him to have good sportsmanship. “We work really well [together] on the field and feed off each other,” said teammate and friend, Trip Tarro, an offensive and defensive lineman. “Deandre has a really positive influence. He has the ability by [not only] the way he plays but vocally gets [everyone] excited to play. He leads everyone in the right direction; he talks to everyone,” Tarro said. “Deandre is a very likeable kid with a great personality. His teamamates flock to him and he responds on and off the field leadership. When the lights go on he is all about the game,” Dougherty said. Reaves has many goals as both an athlete and a student at WVU. “My goals as a student are to be as successful as possible, being just as good as a student in the classroom as I would as on the football field,” Reaves said. As an athlete, “I want to see how far I can go with my talent. Obviously I want to go to the NFL, so that’s the goal that I’m striving for,” Reaves said. “[I would also like to] help my team win as many games as possible, help my team make the playoffs, help my team make the championships.” Buckwalter and Dougherty both think Reaves can go far in his football career. Buckwalter thinks that Reaves has “potential for [the] NFL… But it’s a game that takes a lot of work [for] everything to fall into place.” Buckwalter advises to all of his players to “do the little things necessary to be successful and work hard in all aspects of the game.” Dougherty said, “I knew Deandre was a Division I scholarship kid the first time I saw him play. I see him playing on Sunday’s after he tears it up at WVU.” Reaves recommends to others to “Work hard while you’re young so that when you get older, it’ll play off.” ]]> Sun, 05 Dec 2010 17:44:30 GMT