If you have followed Greenbrier East football this season, you know the Spartans are 4-1, very rarely play the next team listed on their original schedule and are scoring at a rapid pace.
You also have probably heard of sophomore quarterback, Monquelle Davis.
Davis is a shifty athlete with a strong arm who can make the most difficult throws seem rather easy as evidenced by a 20-yard touchdown pass he threw last Friday against Berkeley Springs. On that play, he rolled to his left, threw off his back foot and across his body, and hit teammate Colby Piner right between the numbers as time expired in the first half. It gave East a huge momentum boost as they easily cruised to victory the second half.
With Davis being so young, sometimes things can get a little tricky or intimidating. Last season in a game against Woodrow Wilson he took a vicious hit (and also an illegal one) and was knocked out of the game and missed another. However, what doesn’t break you, makes you stronger and Davis lived by those words.
“It made me work harder and get stronger. I was ready to go back out there and show them who I am,” Davis said.
And that’s exactly what the dual-threat player has done.
Through five games, Davis has passed for 535 yards and eight touchdowns. He has only thrown three interceptions. He may be even more dangerous as a runner as his 401 yards and six scores suggest. As a team, East has averaged 453 yards per game with Davis in charge.
If there is one downside to this season, it’s the COVID-19 pandemic which has thrown wrenches in everyone’s plans, but the positive side of it according to Davis is the team has gotten closer through it all.
“Well we always talked about we have to stay safe and always watch who you hang out with. We got so much closer by us going to Bellacino’s every Thursday. We would talk, laugh and just have fun,” Davis said.
The secret to Davis’ success is nothing special, but just basic everyday rituals as he approaches game week.
“I’ll go shake all my teammates hands and say play like it’s your last, men.”
Davis has lofty goals for himself and his team this year. But if the playoffs get postponed due to the virus, it would be a major heartbreaker.
“I will be very upset especially for the seniors, their last year of high school football,” Davis stated.
He’s just a 10th grader, but speaking of his goals, Davis makes it very clear what he wants.
“I want to be one of the best quarterbacks or football players to ever come out of Greenbrier East and win a home playoff game, plus make it up to states,” Davis concluded.
With the way the season has gone so far, those expectations are definitely within reach.
Catch Davis and the Spartans in action this Friday, October 9, at Oak Hill against the Red Devils.
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