Speedy Lancer breaks away

By Laura Clark

Published: October 1, 2008

Coaches expect quarterbacks Anthony Rose and Kirby Anderson to produce big scoring plays. The Lancer running backs get their share, too, and the offense has averaged 300 yards a game. Through the first five games, Amherst has asserted its reputation for speed. Besides Mario Vaughan and Jamar and Jamal Glover, another name can be added to the quick list: Chris McDaniel.

McDaniel’s numbers on the season

-10 solo tackles
-12 tackling assists
-2 interceptions
-3 passes defended
-33 yards kickoff return
-156 yards punt return
-2 touchdowns

The junior sees minimal playing time on offense as a wide receiver, but has busted big plays as a free safety and on the kickoff and punt return teams. Most notably, McDaniel intercepted a pass against G.W. Danville to score a 67-yard touchdown and returned an E.C. Glass punt for a 90-yard touchdown.

“Honestly, I need to find more ways to get him the ball,” coach Cecil Phillips said. “He’s a great competitor, so when he’s on the field he plays extremely hard. He’s full-speed every play.”

McDaniel spent much of summer capitalizing on his natural speed. In the weight room, he focused on squats and lunges to build his leg muscles. There’s even a special mat with white dots that emphasized quick feet movements. The 5-foot-8, 150-pounder agreed the speed of the Lancers this season can match that of Alonzo Poe and John Rose two years ago. But he’s quick to point out that speed alone doesn’t make the play.

“I give all my credit to the blocks,” McDaniel said. “Without them I would have gotten nowhere.”

He waits deep with Vaughan on special teams. Whoever receives the ball knows the other will be his lead blocker. It makes teams prepare for the punt return with the two of them back there, Vaughan said.

“He’s just takes off to run,” Vaughan said. “He maintains his speed as he runs.”

Vaughan, a starting running back, said McDaniel’s scores have helped out the offense by giving them a longer rest. For McDaniel, that means turning around to play the last man down field for the defense. But McDaniel said he likes the challenge of knowing he could be one-on-one with an opponent determined to score.

“You’ve got to wrap up,” he said. “If they’re way bigger than you, just hold on until the rest of the team gets there. I’m not the biggest guy on the team. I just go for the legs. I try to pinball their kneecaps.”

Nasty as that sounds, pinball means to tackle from the side, aiming for the knees to make a runner lose balance.

McDaniel has had two interceptions this season. While he’s backpedaling, he’ll watch the quarterback’s eyes until he fixes on a receiver, like at G.W.

“I just jumped a route,” he said. “That pretty much closed the casket on them. There wasn’t but two or three minutes left in the game.”

Those interceptions help make the argument for McDaniel to play wide receiver. He may not be tall, but once he makes the catch, he’s tough to defend.

“They’re trying to get the ball to me in space,” he said.

McDaniel hasn’t taken his responsibilities lightly this season. Before the legal turmoil of friends and former Lancers, McDaniel had his own troubles. A three-year starter as shortstop for the Lancer baseball team, he had to miss the last couple games of the season after getting into a fight in school.

“That hurts. I come to school, and I think about sports. I try to not be hyper in class and behave so I can play,” McDaniel said.

“I got my act together now. Me and my dad just had a heart-to-heart, and he said if you’ve got something good going for you, don’t mess it up.”

“He takes pride in what he does,” Phillips said. “He’s a great free safety. In a return game, with him and Mario both, they give you the chance to make big plays. That demoralizes opponents and energizes your sideline.”

Positive energy is McDaniel’s focus right now, on the field in practice and games and sometimes from the sideline.

Among a team with many rookie starters, McDaniel said it’s important for juniors like him to step up the intensity, even the laughter on the sidelines.

“I think we’ve come together now as a team,” he said. “It was a little bumpy at first with the new playbook. Everybody’s settled down. We’re getting smoother and smoother.”

Amherst hits the road for Rustburg

Amherst topped AAA-team Freedom 41-7 on Sept. 26. Freedom scored first, in three plays, but the Lancers quickly adjusted.

“After that we started doing what we needed to do in every facet of the game,” Phillips said.

The Lancers had their first night of more than 400 offensive yards (103 passing and 309 rushing).

Devonte Brown had three touchdowns for Amherst. Tyrease Brown was the leading rusher with 75 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Lancers held Freedom to 95 yards of offense and moved to a 4-1 overall record.

Amherst gets a chance to even out its one district loss (Brookville) when it travels to Rustburg Oct. 4 for the second district game of the season.

Rustburg is coming off a 28-6 loss to Brookville on Sept. 26. Rustburg (1-4, 0-2) is coached by former Lancer defensive coordinator Jon Berlin.

“Coach Berlin is doing a tremendous job at Rustburg,” Phillips said. “They’ve improved each week. We’ve got to match that level of intensity. We’ve got to set the tone early.”

Amherst still runs the same defense that Berlin coached two years ago.

The Lancers may have an edge with their Wing-T offense, which no other team in the district runs. Rustburg adopted the option running game of the Lancers under Scott Abell.

“(Our players) understand the concept of Rustburg’s offense because they ran it for so many years,” Phillips said.

The Lancers were sixth in the state Division IV rankings after six weeks of play by the Virginia High School League.