Charleston Daily Mail

McClanahan thinking football

Christopher Wade, for the Daily Mail, Friday November 09, 2007

Next week, Nitro senior Brett McClanahan, a first team All-State selection last season and Division I prospect who averaged 23 points a game, will begin basketball practice for the Wildcats.

Or will he? Nitro football Coach Scott Tinsley certainly hopes not. That's because McClanahan and the Wildcat football team hope to still be playing.

Class AAA No. 14 Nitro (6-4) goes on the road tonight in the first round of the playoffs to take on No. 3 Robert C. Byrd in Clarksburg.

With a victory, the Wildcats would advance at least one more week, which would delay McClanahan's return to the courts.

"This is the first time I've not wanted basketball season to start yet," said McClanahan. "I hope to still be playing football. It doesn't matter what sport I'm in, I want to win."

While McClanahan is certainly a standout on the basketball courts, he has quickly made a name for himself on the football field as well.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound McClanahan has had an incredible senior season, racking up 55 receptions for 1,226 yards, ranking him 13th in the nation. He is averaging 22.3 yards per catch and has scored 11 touchdowns.

What makes the season even more impressive is that McClanahan had never played football in his life before this year.

"It's been a blast," McClanahan said. "This is my senior year so I figured I might as well give it a try. I wish I would have been playing longer."

While Tinsley certainly knew he had a talented athlete in McClanahan, to see the great successes he has on the field in such a short amount of time has certainly amazed Tinsley.

"No way. I had no idea he would be right among the leaders in the state in yards and receptions," Tinsley said. "I couldn't have expected that, no one could. We knew he was quite the athlete but what he has done is incredible."

Throughout the season, Tinsley has been trying to get McClanahan increasingly involved in his high-powered passing offense.

"It's unbelievable that he's been able to pick up the offense as quickly as he has," Tinsley said. "We have a difficult offense to learn but every week we have tried to put in a few new wrinkles for him. He's been a real pleasure."

Tinsley and most likely the Nitro basketball coaching staff got a scare last week in Nitro's regular season finale victory on the road at Princeton.

McClanahan suffered an ankle injury that luckily turned out to be minor.

"He rolled his ankle in the first half against Princeton and throughout the second half I was at a loss on what to call," Tinsley said.

"They were doubling up (all-state receiver Marcos) Valentine and it made it tough. My biggest compliment I could give to him is that when he's not out there, I don't know what to do."

McClanahan has been a huge complement to Valentine, the other highly touted Wildcat receiver. On the season, Valentine has 73 receptions for 1,471 yards (2nd in the nation) and 22 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Nitro senior quarterback Michael Scott has been the huge benefactor of having two marquee wideouts, throwing for 3,286 yards (fifth in the nation) and 40 touchdowns opposed to just 11 interceptions.

"I've felt good about our offense going into every game," Tinsley said. "We know we are going to score some points. The question mark is will we show up and play defense."

McClanahan feels his great success is largely due to opposing defenses trying to focus in on trying to stop Valentine.

"I think Marcos is the reason I've had so much success," McClanahan said.

"Teams are doubling and tripling him even though there are 10 others on the field. I've never seen teams put seemingly half the defense on him and he's still making plays."

If Valentine, McClanahan, and the rest of the high powered Nitro offense continue to make plays, the Wildcat basketball team might not have its first team all-stater for quite a while.

And that would suit McClanahan just fine.