Our latest player of the week is from Giles. Ethan Mitchell is has been a vital part of the Spartans single wing attack all season, and last Friday night's win over Glenvar was no exception.
Giles has one of the most tricky offenses in the area to defend, but it's maybe just as tough to come into the system and learn it.
"It'd be tough for anybody to come here and learn this offense," said Brad Kessigner, the Spartans running back. "It's so many people going so many different ways. It's a unique offense compared to others."
And for Ethan Mitchell, moving to Southwest Virginia as an 8th grader, he had to pick-up the Giles single wing pretty quickly, having never seen anything like it before.
"It was confusing. It didn't really phase me all that much because I didn't really start where I used to live. It was a big change though," Mitchell said.
"A lot of our kids start out running the single wing in Little League but Ethan didn't have that opportunity. But we knew he was just a great athlete. He's got great ball skills and everything, so we knew he could handle the snaps and he could be perfect in there for us," said Jeff Williams, the Spartans Head Coach.
Mitchell has definitely settled into his role on the team, putting up 215 yards on 14 carries and scoring 3 touchdowns in the Spartans' 44-14 win over Glenvar last week.
"It's a pretty dramatic game," Mitchell said. "They couldn't really stop our running. Our offensive line did a really good job blocking-- have to give them that. It was just an overall good game because we of course beat them by a bunch of points."
"There's not a lot about Ethan," Williams said. "He just likes to show up and play football and on top of that, he's a competator. Every night he's out there to win. We always talk about the great competators who show up in the big football games and big games period."
And Ethan's counterpart, Brad Kessinger, has been another driving force on the Spartans' offense that helps balance-out the work load.
"He's definitely got more size. I'll give him that and everything," Kessinger said. "He'll run over somebody if they get in the way but I ain't taking nothing away from him shifting-wise either. He's got moves as well."
"They work well together and they're nice to have back there as a 1-2 punch," Williams said.
Ethan Mitchell, "I've loved this sport since I was younger. I've always dreamed about being a high school football player starting on a varsity team for a good high school."
Giles has one of the most tricky offenses in the area to defend, but it's maybe just as tough to come into the system and learn it.
"It'd be tough for anybody to come here and learn this offense," said Brad Kessigner, the Spartans running back. "It's so many people going so many different ways. It's a unique offense compared to others."
And for Ethan Mitchell, moving to Southwest Virginia as an 8th grader, he had to pick-up the Giles single wing pretty quickly, having never seen anything like it before.
"It was confusing. It didn't really phase me all that much because I didn't really start where I used to live. It was a big change though," Mitchell said.
"A lot of our kids start out running the single wing in Little League but Ethan didn't have that opportunity. But we knew he was just a great athlete. He's got great ball skills and everything, so we knew he could handle the snaps and he could be perfect in there for us," said Jeff Williams, the Spartans Head Coach.
Mitchell has definitely settled into his role on the team, putting up 215 yards on 14 carries and scoring 3 touchdowns in the Spartans' 44-14 win over Glenvar last week.
"It's a pretty dramatic game," Mitchell said. "They couldn't really stop our running. Our offensive line did a really good job blocking-- have to give them that. It was just an overall good game because we of course beat them by a bunch of points."
"There's not a lot about Ethan," Williams said. "He just likes to show up and play football and on top of that, he's a competator. Every night he's out there to win. We always talk about the great competators who show up in the big football games and big games period."
And Ethan's counterpart, Brad Kessinger, has been another driving force on the Spartans' offense that helps balance-out the work load.
"He's definitely got more size. I'll give him that and everything," Kessinger said. "He'll run over somebody if they get in the way but I ain't taking nothing away from him shifting-wise either. He's got moves as well."
"They work well together and they're nice to have back there as a 1-2 punch," Williams said.
Ethan Mitchell, "I've loved this sport since I was younger. I've always dreamed about being a high school football player starting on a varsity team for a good high school."
