Cedarville QB goes from protector to protected

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Cedarville quarterback Corey Shelton has thrown for 289 yards and three touchdowns this season. Not bad for a former left guard.

Staff photo by Randy Hilt Cedarville quarterback Corey Shelton has thrown for 289 yards and three touchdowns this season. Not bad for a former left guard.

Corey Shelton switches from offensive lineman to offensive leader for Cedarville.

By Brian Plasters, Staff Writer Updated 2:01 PM Friday, October 8, 2010

CEDARVILLE — Corey Shelton played left guard the last two years, blocking for Cedarville High School’s quarterback.

Now Shelton is the Indians’ quarterback. It was a big change for the 6-foot, 180-pound senior.

“On the line all you do is worry about blocking and making sure there are holes for the running backs,” Shelton said. “As a quarterback, you’ve gotta be more of a leader for the offense. There’s maybe more pressure as quarterback, but I’m all right with that.”

Not only is Shelton in a new position, he’s leading the team in rushing yards. He’s gained 509 yards on 83 carries (a hefty 6.1 yards per carry) with six touchdowns. Shelton’s shown his speed, too, with a 61-yard touchdown run.

He’s also more than a runner: He’s passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns in the Indians’ run-first triple option scheme.

The triple option has been a big boost for the Indians. On many plays, it’s up to Shelton to continue the run or pitch the football to a trailing tailback. Most of the time, Shelton said, defenders cover the tailback and he takes the ball upfield.

“The blocks are a lot easier on our linemen,” Shelton said. “We get the ball on the edge a lot more this year, and it takes our speed and puts it into the game. We’ve got real good speed this year.”

Shelton played quarterback in younger grades, but not for the varsity. The job wasn’t just handed to him: head coach Austin Steward said the Indians had a five-player tryout for the position.

“Corey was a step above everybody else,” Steward said.

Each week, Steward said, Shelton continues to take a step forward and learns more about playing the position.

“We’ve been asking him to do more and more, and he’s been able to handle everything we’ve given to him,” Steward said.

Shelton’s emergence coincides with Cedarville’s rise. With a 3-2 record, the Indians have surpassed last season’s win total heading into tonight’s 7:30 game at Mechanicsburg.

“We have some good senior leaders on the team,” Shelton said. “Everyone is coming out and really wanting to put wins up.”

Shelton said he sometimes misses hitting, as opposed to getting hit. He makes up for that with some time playing linebacker, and getting a random block in every now and then.

“He’s still one of the best blockers on the team,” Steward said. “Even when we’re doing drills and stuff like that, he still wants to block people.”

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