For a football team to be 12-0 takes a combination of many ingredients.
First, you have to throw in some standout players. Ones who become household names among fans who follow the team are needed. These are the ones you expect to perform miraculous deeds on the football field week in and week out.
Apalachee High School has several such players who have their name in print in several area newspapers and who are talked about on local radio and even some big-time television stations.
Second, you have to toss in a dash of quality coaching. The Wildcats have this as well with head coach Shane Davis, coordinators Joel Miller and David Wagner and the rest of the staff. Each coach has done a solid job not only this season but in ones leading up to 2009 as the AHS Wildcats have become a regular guest at the state playoff table.
Finally, you have to have an ingredient which often gets overlooked. You must have the type of players who don’t always get recognized, except maybe by the coaches, and who often works with little, if any fanfare.
AHS has players who fit this category. One Wildcat who fits this description is senior Nick Donaldson. Officially listed on the roster as an offensive lineman/defensive lineman, Donaldson makes his impact on special teams. He is the team’s long snapper on punts and field goal and extra point attempts.
Donaldson doesn’t get his name in print as often as some of his teammates, but you won’t hear him complain. He just enjoys doing what he can.
“It’s something I take a lot of pride in,” Donaldson said of his duties for the team. “I go out and try to make myself better every day. I’m just doing my part.”
For anyone who has watched Donaldson, it’s easy to see his value.
Whenever the times comes for AHS to punt or prepare to kick a field goal or extra point, Donaldson is looking at the coaches for the signal to go. He is never late running onto the field. His name never has to yelled out by the coaches to get in the game.
Donaldson watches intently each play, each series and is always ready to spring into action. As one of, if not the, tallest players on the team, he stands out on the sideline since he towers above everyone, but it’s his unselfish approach which makes him a standout on the gridiron. The 12-0 season can be contributed to many factors. However, a team must have players like Donaldson to help it be successful. Players who don’t mind doing the little things and who understand their role.
What did Donaldson think after his team’s second overtime playoff win last Friday?
“Right now I’m in disbelief,” he said moments after players and fans alike broke into a mass celebration of the 36-35 win against Marist. “We keep finding a way to win. We’ve got three more to go, then we can really celebrate.”
For now, it’s back to work for Donaldson. Back to working without fanfare although he doesn’t seem to mind.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of the Barrow Journal. E-mail comments about this column to him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
