QB HOUSE AT HOME BOTH IN
Publication: THE SUNDAY GAZETTE-MAIL
Published: 07/23/1995
Page: P1D
Headline: QB HOUSE AT HOME BOTH IN
Byline: MITCH VINGLE
IN THE SPIRIT of Batman
Forever, here's a riddle.
When is a House not at home?
Answer: When it's baseball season.
Confused? Don't be. Spring is when soon-to-be Nitro High
student J.R. House is in
player. The rest of the time, House, whose father owns two area car
dealerships, goes to school here.
And while here, the student plays football and basketball. Very
well.
That's why the former Hayes Junior High standout is projected to
start at quarterback for Nitro High as a freshman. At the recent Big
EastACC Roundup camp, instructors spoke of the arm of
Mount View's
John Borosky and the feet of Hurricane's Brian
Bennett and South
Charleston's Jason Meeks. Then they pointed toward House.
"Just a freshman,' one instructor said. "But he's a keeper
.'
House now stands at 5-10, but is projected to grow to 6-2 or 6-3
.He is already at 180 pounds, most of which are muscle. And, perhaps
most important, he has a family that is more than backing his
athletic career. They are bankrolling it.
"I owe a lot to my dad,' said House. "He wanted to take me
down to
better competition and that more athletes are recruited out of
"But they really don't have junior high sports where we go. So
we came back here for football and basketball. Then, I go back to
baseball and more players get drafted.'
House's home actually switches, making the move from here to
"We're definitely athletically oriented,' said House. "My
mom goes back down to
stays and my dad goes back and forth.'
And if you're wondering
"It hasn't affected my grades at all,' said House. "I've had
a 4.0 |Fgrade point average|G
everywhere I've gone. Everything is
just built around sports.'
to be in February.
"I really like it,' said House. "I get out of some of the
weather here into that nice sun.'
Spoiled? Nah. The guy's fortunate _ and he knows it.
He has
kept his grades up and continually works on his game. Or, more
correctly, games.
"We have open gym over here for basketball,' said Nitro
assistant Richard Hill. "I don't think he's missed a day.'
House has won almost every honor here for football and
basketball. He seems to think, however, he's best at baseball.
"I've already been to some major league tryout camps,' said
House. "But football's great. I love it.'
The strong-armed freshman will certainly love football if he
claims the starting quarterback slot, left open by graduated Daniel
Taylor.
"That's why I went there,' said House. "Also, Coach (Scott)
Tinsley's there now and we're going to throw it around a bit.'
Tinsley is the former
Cyrus and the Wildcats. His plan to pass may work with a sure-handed
quartet of skill players: juniors Jason Redman and Ryan Blake, and
seniors Brian Clark and Dan Hughes.
"We have some good receivers,' said House. "I think we'll be
pretty good. We'll just need for the line to pick up blocks, because
you know the other teams will be blitzing, trying to rattle me.'
In other words, the line will have to keep its House in order
. And if the young QB can inject some of that sunshine into the
offense, perhaps the Wildcats can post their first winning season
since 1983.