In past years, third down and 15 is not a typical situation in which Averett offensive coordinator
#J.D. Shaw# would have called a short run play when the Cougars were deep in your opponent's territory and the score tied late in the fourth quarter. However, that's what Shaw drew up before sending his field goal kicking team onto the field last Saturday at Washington & Lee University.
Yet, that's the confidence Shaw has in sophomore transfer kicker Brad Scott, who came on to nail what proved to be the go-ahead 33-yard field goal with 2:06 to play in Averett's 20-10 win over the Generals. Scott, who was named to the D3Football.com Team of the Week and selected as the USA South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, has brought the Cougars something they've struggled with in recent years — a kicking game.
“We were comfortable running the ball there instead of trying to get a first down,” Shaw explained. “We were trying to get the ball in the best position possible so that he could have the best look at kicking the game-winner.”
Scott's leg strength has made an immediate impact for the Cougars this season, making him one of several transfers who have shined early on this season.
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Scott was recruited heavily by Averett's coaching staff when he was coming out of Nash Central High School in Rocky Mount, N.C. Although he was impressed by Averett, he opted to enroll at Guilford College, where he became the starting kicker for the Quakers as a true freshman. Scott, however, decided to leave Guilford after one semester.
Looking for a new home to play, Scott turned to some familiar faces. He contacted the Averett coaching staff who had wanted him from the start.
“The coaching staff was one of the main things I liked about Averett,” Scott recalled. “I thought about them when I left Guilford because they sent me something like every day when I was in high school still. They just did the right things to attract me.”
Offensive lineman Josh Clark, a Danville native and former standout at nearby George Washington High School, originally enrolled at Division II Glenville State University in West Virginia. However, Clark wanted to return closer to home after redshirting his first year there. He checked out several schools, but Averett seemed to be the logical choice.
“I got about as close as I could get — not even a mile away from my house,” Clark joked
In the cases of Scott and Clark, the Averett coaching staff was certainly familiar with them during recruiting. Even though both ultimately chose other schools originally, Averett head coach Mike Dunlevy and his staff made sure to let them know they would be welcomed if they changed their mind down the road. Dunlevy believes it can't hurt to leave the door open.
“You may talk to a kid that you're not going to get, but he may go somewhere else, not like it and eventually want to transfer here,” Dunlevy said. “You always try to keep those channels open just in case.”
Scott has already made three field goals entering Saturday's Homecoming game against Greensboro College at 1 p.m. at the Cougar Den. That total matches last season's final total. Still, Dunlevy and Shaw contend that Scott's biggest asset may be what he gives the Cougars on kickoffs. Of his 15 kickoffs, seven have gone for touchbacks. Last weekend against Washington & Lee, Scott booted one through the uprights with room to spare. While that certainly impressed Dunlevy, the ninth-year head coach loves it even more that his defense can have some of the pressure relieved since the opposing offense is forced to start at its own 20-yard line every time Scott kicks it into the end zone.
“When you've got a guy like Brad that can kick it deep and kick it out or hit a field goal from a range that most Division III schools aren't going to see, it does affect your play calling and how you do things,” Shaw said.
As for Clark, he's made an immediate impact for the Cougars in the trenches. The redshirt freshman has earned a starting spot on the offensive line, which wasn't necessarily an easy task to accomplish.
“Anytime you get a guy that transfers in from a high level than us, you have high expectations for those people,” Shaw said. “And sometimes those players don't always live up to those expectations, but he has. There's no question that he earned the job. We have a veteran offensive line and for him to come in and crack that lineup should tell you what kind of player he is.”
Clark attributes his successful emersion into the lineup to some of his fellow veteran linemen.
“For me, it was real easy to find my place,” he said. “Guys like Kevin Roberts, Jeff Bosley and Phil Blaising helped me out a lot. They took me in as a friend and as a fellow player.”
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While Clark and Scott were on Dunlevy's radar years ago, one blip showed up at the last second. As the Cougars readied for the start of preseason camp, Dunlevy got an unexpected surprise in the form of powerful running back.
The Cougars were unsure about their running game. With no returning tailbacks, the coaching staff had moved linebacker Logan Smyth to the backfield to avoid having to start a rookie to open the season. Although Smyth had played tailback in high school, he had just as many college carries as the incoming freshmen. So when Dunlevy got a call from senior James Wilson, he happily listened.
Wilson, a 6-foot, 245-pound running back from Los Angeles, had been out of football for two years. He had played two seasons during several years at Division II Concord University in West Virginia, but he decided to leave. When he chose to resume his playing career, Wilson had one season of eligibility remaining. The soon-to-be 24-year-old looked at schools in the West Virginia and Virginia region. That's when he came across Averett.
“I had no idea where I was going to go,” said Wilson, who was named the USA South Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. “It just happened by chance that I came across Averett and happened to be in Virginia. I was feeling the school and got a good vibe. I had seen a few reviews on Averett and once I came up here and checked them out the reviews proved right.”
With a need for an experienced running back, Dunlevy welcomed Wilson to the program.
“To be able to get a transfer with that strength and size has been an added bonus,” Dunlevy said. “He made an impact immediately.”
Wilson is Averett's leading rusher so far this season and leads all USA South rushers with more than 70 yards on the ground per game. And maybe more importantly, Wilson's emergence as a force on the ground has allowed the coaches to move Smyth back to defense.
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Dunlevy has taken in transfers before, but perhaps none have made quite the immediate impact that Wilson, Scott and Clark have. At least certainly none of their magnitude all in the same season.
“Anytime you can get a transfer and someone that has experience playing college football, it's always a plus,” Dunlevy said. “They tend to be more mature and know what the expectations are.”
For Wilson, Scott and Clark, the opportunity to come to Averett is the perfect scenario. All three want to win a conference championship, which played a role in their decision.
“I wanted to go out on a winning team and win a championship,” Wilson said. “After coming up here and meeting with the guys and the coaches, I felt like we were on the same page. They had the tools, the players and the right coaches to get the job done.”
That road starts Saturday in Averett's conference-opener against Greensboro.
