NITRO BASKETBALL STAR JOINS FOOTBALL TEAM

Publication: CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL
Published: 08/06/2007
Page: 5B
Headline: NITRO BASKETBALL STAR JOINS FOOTBALL TEAM
Byline: RICH STEVENS

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

Nitro High Coach Scott Tinsley can't wait for Tuesday.

That's when live contact is permitted and the Wildcats' head coach can see how his two newest additions will react to giving and getting hits.

With fewer than 700 students in a Class AAA schools, Tinsley has welcomed basketball standouts Brett McClanahan and Adam Tate with open arms.

"I never thought I'd see Brett out there, but I'm happy to see him come out," senior wide receiver Marcos Valentine said.

"He's an athlete anyway, so I thought he could be an asset to us. Adam will help us out a lot on the defensive line."

The 6-foot-3 McClanahan, who finished eighth in the state in scoring at 23.3 points last winter, and Tate, who stands as Nitro's big man in the post, have decided to give football a whirl.

The concern?

"I don't think Brett has ever played and I think the last time Adam Tate played was seventh grade," Tinsley said.

"We're trying Brett at free safety and Adam at tackle. We've been in shorts and T-shirts and the contact hasn't happened yet. We'll see."

McClanahan, a first-team All-State basketball player, has a technically ideal jumpshot.

It remains to be seen how fundamental his tackling skills will be. Tate likely will be used as a two-way lineman.

"Needless to say, (Brett) is quite an athlete," Tinsley said. "Adam is about 6-5 and 250 pounds. He looks like what the (Division I-A) schools are looking for as far as body type. But we'll have to wait for the pads and see how they react."

Tinsley also is welcoming the return of linebacker Mark Massey, who started as a sophomore in 2005 before moving to Colorado. He had 55 tackles and three sacks two years ago.

It just so happens they could fill holes on a defense, which lost nine starters after yielding only 15.2 points per game last season. That's the fewest a Tinsley-coached team has surrendered in five seasons.

Prior to Nitro's 2005 Class AAA state championship runner-up season, the Wildcats gave up an average of 25.9 points in 34 games.

"We took pride in our defense last year," Valentine said. "I think we expected to outscore teams and then get on to the next week."

Who would've thought that would come one year later?

Valentine was a first-team All-State Class AAA selection last season, catching 71 passes for 1,171 yards and nine touchdowns. While he acknowledges that he won't be the only receiving threat, the Wildcats could be reverting back to their old ways.

"I wouldn't say we're worried right now," said Valentine, who starts at defensive back and even played some outside linebacker last season. "You don't really know until you put the pads on. I think our secondary will have to work a lot harder this year."

Everything happened quickly for Valentine, whose measurable action as a sophomore included one carry and five tackles.

Last year, he caught a season-high nine passes in a quarterfinal playoff loss to Fairmont Senior, culminating a memorable junior season.

"Last year I went in with no experience in high school ball," Valentine said. "I was hoping to have a decent year and maybe I would come in my senior year and do something special."

High-powered offense

The Nitro High football team has more questions on defense than it has in several years. While the offense appears solid, the Wildcats could be looking to simply outscore opponents like they have in the past. Here’s a look at Nitro’s scoring numbers since Scott Tinsley became head coach in 2002:

TOTAL AVERAGE
Year PF PA PF PA Record

2002 305 244 30.5 24.4 5-5
2003 386 303 35.1 27.5 8-3
2004 361 335 27.8 25.8 9-4
2005 540 251 38.6 17.9 12-2
2006 373 182 31.1 15.2 10-2

Contact sportswriter Rich Stevens at richstevens@dailymail.com or 348-4837.