Spartans' Cole works his way into a leader

Aug. 23—Ray Lee saw and heard from Aiden Cole all that was necessary when Cole was a freshman.

Not that it didn't take some work.

"When he came out as a freshman, one of the things I admired about him, he wasn't the biggest person at all," said Lee, heading into his 12th season as the head football coach at Greenbrier East. "Pretty much the typical freshman size coming in as a lineman, 165-75 pounds, something like that. Not real tall. And he didn't shy away from anything."

That includes doing whatever it took to establish himself among the more experienced players around him.

"They indoctrinated him, and he never shied away from it," Lee said. "And by being the kind of young man he is, being a tough guy, he hung in there.

"We had a conversation after practice one time and he was like, 'Coach, I just want to play.' Those were his words.

'I just want to play.' and I gave him the encouragement. 'You're a freshman. Right now you're not quite there, but you're going to be there based on your attitude.' and he kept that same attitude throughout. Never gave in. Did what we asked him offseason. Never missed. And you could see the maturation starting to come in, especially the latter part of his freshman year going into his sophomore year."

For Cole, it ultimately came down to recognizing an opportunity.

"The second to last week of the season, I realized that Grant Hall (the starting center) was not going to be with us anymore because he was a senior so he was going to graduate," Cole said.

"I knew someone had to take that spot for him. So I started going up against upperclassman like J.T. (Spencer), Garrett (Bennett), Nate Baker, Kamon (Anderson), all of them, which helped me improve."

By the time his sophomore year arrived, Cole had gained not only size but also the trust of the upperclassmen around him. He earned the starting spot at center, anchoring an offensive line that otherwise was made up of four seniors. The Spartans went on to assemble one of the top offensive attacks in the state en route to another playoff appearance.

"The experience was amazing," said Cole, now a 6-foot, 248-pound senior. "I felt like I achieved something. Pretty amazing, being with four seniors being the only sophomore on the line. The center's the leader basically, so I told them what to do. I felt like I was in control, even as a sophomore, what plays to do."

Two years later, Cole is now that experienced senior helping the young kids along, bringing two years of starting experience that center spot. He'll be calling the shots once again when the Spartans open the season at Point Pleasant Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

Last season he had the task of leading a vastly inexperienced line, since those four seniors graduated. It took a while, but improvement was noticeable by season's end.

"It was new to me, but I tried to do the best I could and help the underclassmen with what their blocking assignment was, if it was pass, pro, stuff like that," Cole said.

Lee said Cole — who carries a 4.125 GPA, is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has taken part in the Energy Express literacy program — has flourished in his role as leader.

"He helped coach them up, encouraged them, " Lee said. "Now we've got a group with him, and now he's taking the same leadership role not only with the offensive line but with the whole team."

Having been in their shoes helps Cole's relationship with the underclassmen.

"(As) you ask that question, you can actually see him talking to a lot of the younger guys, especially the offensive linemen," Lee said.

"I know how the underclassmen feel, which helps me with teaching them," Cole said.

With the graduation of quarterback Monquelle Davis, the unexpected move of running back Ian Cline to Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C., and still a touch of inexperience, the Spartans may be faced with challenges. But that does nothing to temper Cole's expectations.

"I'm ready for this year, ready to go to Point Pleasant," he said. "Plan to make the playoffs."

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