Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 18, 1993 TAG: 9311180114
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Greg Shockley still remembers those happy, carefree days of his youth.
Shockley's world certainly has changed since he was 15. Life's not as easy. Decisions are tougher.
It's tough being 16.
As a gangly 10th-grader at Blacksburg High School, Shockley was introduced to Quarterbacking 101. His tutor was all-state wide receiver Kevin Schug. The course was easy: ake the snap from center, loft the ball in Schug's general direction and watch your passing totals set school records as you eclipse the 1,600-yard mark and your team heads to the playoffs.
Yes, life certainly was easier then.
"Last year, I was just looking to throw to Kevin," Shockley said. "All I did was let him have the ball and do his thing."
After catching more than 2,000 yards worth of passes in two years, Schug graduated, leaving Shockley and a crew of younger receivers to do their thing. The results have been just as good, if not better.
Blacksburg has won its second consecutive New River District championship with Shockley at quarterback, and the Indians begin the Group AA Region IV Division 4 playoffs at home against Carroll County on Friday night.
The 6-foot, 150-pound junior has had another great year. He finished the regular season as Timesland's second-ranked passer, with 1,137 yards. Shockley completed 94 of 195 passes (48.2 percent) and threw for nine touchdowns along the way.
"He's one of the top two or three quarterbacks we've ever had," said Dave Crist, Blacksburg's coach for the past 18 years.
Shockley's completions have been spread like butter among receivers who regularly make toast of secondaries. Instead of having just one guy who can go deep, Blacksburg boasts a receiving corps that is deep. Four players - Shane Beamer, Todd Perdue, Jay Safford and Tim Brown - have 10 or more catches.
Blacksburg's receivers "do a great job of catching the ball," Shockley said. "If I get it anywhere close to them, they're going to catch it. We have a lot of depth this year."
As a quarterback, Shockley has shown more depth himself. If he completes a lot of passes, he credits the receivers. If he doesn't complete a lot of passes, he takes the blame.
With nearly two years of varsity experience under his belt, more play-calling responsibility has been heaped upon Shockley's shoulder pads.
"Greg has improved so much in his ability to read defenses and recognize things," Crist said. "A lot of times [when Shockley changes a play], it's something we've talked about before the game. `If you see [the defense] lined up in this, then these are the plays to check to.' Sometimes, he sees things we haven't talked about and he makes good reads."
A particularly gutsy call was one Shockley made against Christiansburg. Blacksburg was up 10-0 and facing a third-and-10 situation at the Blue Demons' 11-yard line. The play was designed to go to the right side, but Shockley saw the defense shift that way.
At the line of scrimmage, he changed the play to a read option to the left and handed the ball to fullback Tucker LaForce, who scored to put away the game.
"I had that option [to change plays] last year," Shockley said, "but I was scared I'd do the wrong thing."
It's especially scary when your father is the guy calling the plays. Greg's dad, Jim, is Blacksburg's offensive coordinator and a longtime Crist assistant. If Greg changes one of his father's plays and it doesn't work, it's the equivalent of an on-the-field sass.
"My dad treats me like he treats any other player, except he's a bit harder on me," Greg said. "I understand that, because I've had to go through people saying, `You're playing because he's your dad,' and he's heard, `You called that play because he's your son.' "
A sophomore starter in three sports last year, Greg Shockley will play for his father again in the spring on the baseball diamond, where he batted nearly .300 as an outfielder last year. In basketball, he's a 3-point threat.
In football, he's well on his way to becoming Blacksburg's first three-year quarterback in decades.
"Things have gone well," Shockley said. "We have so many players who do a great job."
by CNB