LEWISBURG (WVDN) – Another Greenbrier East Spartan football player is headed to Bethany College to play for the Bison.
Receiver and kick returner Lucas McCallister will join Spartan teammate Luke Carola in Bethany, West Virginia, later this fall and remain teammates for at least four more years.
McCallister is a dynamic player with speed and strength, making him a key component for the Spartans over the last few years. This past season he hauled in 34 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown and 371 combined return yards.
Those numbers have the Bison coaching staff excited to get McCallister in uniform, and the school’s academics and competitive nature helped seal the deal for McCallister’s commitment.
“Bethany is a very good school academic-wise which is very important, and when we went on a visit up there, we were impressed with how welcoming they were and how they made me feel wanted as a player. The whole coaching staff and the way they talked and explained their program and goals gave off the general sense that they really want to win and are competitive people, which I was drawn to because I’m the same way,” McCallister explained.
McCallister said he is ready to prove his worth on the field to his coaches.
“I haven’t spoken to them much in detail about their plans for me, but all that I do know is that I could potentially be a good slot receiver prospect for them. Whatever their plans are with me, I will do whatever they ask of me and work hard to get on that field,” he said.
Not only did the Spartan coaching staff get him ready for the next step, but they are a huge part of the reason that the next step is now a reality.
“During my time at East I played a lot of football, starting three years and playing some varsity as a freshman, so I got good experience early. And coach (Ray) Lee does a really good job of preaching to us about life and trying to mold us into better young men. It’s bigger than football, because he wants to prepare us for this next step after high school,” McCallister said.
“I want to thank coach Lee and coach (Aaron) Baker for reaching out to all these coaches trying to get me to this point. Their support and efforts mean a lot to me, and they knew how important it was to me to play college ball, so our coaching staff really has done a great job preparing me,” he added.
But it is not just his coaches to whom he is thankful. His family support has been nothing short of amazing as well.
“My family is the reason I’m in this position today. They have always supported me and been there for me, and I’d like to especially thank my parents — my dad for always pushing me at a young age to be better; he always thought he was too hard on me, but he is the reason I am the way I am and the reason I work hard and why I’m very competitive — and my mom who is my biggest fan, who’s always been there running up and down the sidelines when I’m scoring a touchdown and always taking care of me and my brother. Also, my grandparents on both sides have always supported and believed in me and come to as many games as they can,” McCallister said.
McCallister is big on academics, and when he is on the football field and in the classroom, he knows exactly what he wants to accomplish.
“My football goals are to improve as a player, and the No. 1 goal is to start and play as soon as possible and get bigger, stronger and faster,” he said. “I plan to major in physical therapy and sports medicine because I want to stay in the sports world as long as I can, and I want to maintain the best grades I can in all of my classes, too.”
McCallister will compete for that coveted starting spot this August.
