It is once again time to hand out our Friday Football Extra Player of the Week award. This week we head to Moneta where Staunton River traveled to Alleghany a week ago and threw an improptu birthday party for senior tailback Meech Coles.
Meech made sure that the celebration lasted the entire bus ride home and beyond.
His given name is Demetrius Coles, but everyone knows him only as Meech.
"When I was growing up, my mom, my dad, and all my ancestors called me that. I like it better than my real name," said Coles.
Meech made sure everyone knew his name against Alleghany as he ran for five touchdowns and over 300 yards while carrying the ball 34 times. The night's performance made special by the fact that it was Coles birthday.
"It was the best when I got home everybody was like good job. I posted on Facebook and I had like a hundred requests saying good job, happy birthday, it must have been the best birthday ever," said Coles.
"I told him we were going to give him the rock as a present quite a few times and that is kind of the way the ballgame shaped up for us," said Mark Poston.
Giving the ball to Meech 34 times may have been a good birthday present, but it is also the best way to take advantage of Coles running style.
"He is our workhorse and has been for quite some time, he can run it in between the tackles he can run outside the tackles. There has never been a hesitation in my mind handing 25 the football. I would describe Meech as a power runner, he is definitively someone who is going to lower his shoulder. He has a little shake to him and he will give you a move here and there. Bottom line he is going to hit the hole with his shoulder pads going downhill," said Poston.
Coles may do the punishing to the opponents, but Poston, makes sure to get the most out of his football team.
"He is a really intense guy, you always have to go full speed. He catch you slacking he will get on you, he is going to yell at you , punish you for something he is going to get you," said Coles.
A year ago the Golden Eagles made the playoffs for the first time since 1996, Coles and the rest of his senior class would like to return as they have been a large part in the turn around of the Staunton River Program.
"That was our mindset we are going to change this program around. Feel like doing something around here, even though I am a senior, I am going to miss it real bad. But at least we did it," said Coles.
