FAIRLEA- The Greenbrier East Spartans open up their new season this Friday, Aug. 29 when they hit the road to Riverside to take on a Warriors team that finished just 1-9 last season with one of those nine losses at the hands of the Spartans, 24-20.
This year’s Spartan team has high expectations, and the players and coaches are approaching the campaign with a sense of quiet optimism.
East looked good in their two scrimmages and made plays on both sides of the ball proving that each side can carry each other when needed.
The offense is expected to get rolling early with plenty of senior leadership and experience and this is where we preview that side of the ball and what fans can expect from that unit.
Offensive Starters with last season’s stats:
QB: Brody Hamric– SR– 78-of-136, 1,221 yards, 14 TDs, 4 INTs– three-year starter on offense, Honorable Mention All-State in 2024 and 2023.
RB: Zayir Lee–SR–first-year starter on offense, no carries in 2024.
TE: Grant Burdette– SR– 17 receptions, 243 yds, four-year starter on offense
Other players to see time in skill positions: Keshawn Bland (FB) JR, Danny Butler (WR)J R, AJ Godfrey (RB) SR, Braylen Godfrey (TE/WR) JR, Gavin Eads (RB/WR) SO
What coach Ray Lee said about the skill players:
“Our skill position players are very experienced. We have some guys in there who have been in some big games and made some big plays. This group has a work ethic that spreads throughout our whole team. They love to compete among each other but are also tight as teammates. Getting the ball to any one of these players is going to be productive for our team. They all have play making ability because of the work they put into our offseason program. This group has a couple of great leaders in it. Kaden Stone is a guy who leads by example through hard work and being extremely coachable. Nate Suttle is a guy who can run with anyone in this state and is also very passionate about our team being successful. I can’t say enough about Brody and what he brings to the team: Dedication, knowledge, and a desire to be good. Jy and Z are the quiet guys on offense in terms of being vocal, but these two have really developed into guys that we can depend on to make plays when needed. Grant has been a fixture at out Tight End position for four years. The tight end spot is a hard position to play because you have to be active in both the run game and pass game. Grant handles his business at that spot and his skill set makes it possible for us to be very versatile on offense.”
