Kevin Whaley; Quickness, Instinct and Raw Speed
It is impossible to have a discussion about the best players in the Eastern district without bring up the name Kevin Whaley. A dazzling combination of quickness, instincts, and raw speed makes this Salem Sundevil unstoppable. His stats are undeniable: over 1,000 rushing yards as a freshman, and over 1,400 yards as a sophomore. Now in his junior season, the 5' 9", 170 pound tailback will take his shot at 2,000. He may possess 4.45 speed and a nose for the end zone, but Whaley is concerned with far more than another page in the record books. He has one thing on his mind: "The State Championship is all I am focused on," Whaley declared. "We have the team to do it, and we will not let anything get in our way this year."
While most teams start off their season with lofty goals, Whaley's determination to win the state title is truly inspirational. Its not just hyperbole though. With the addition of transfer quarterback Rick Kresinske, Salem has a real shot as long as #7 keeps putting points on the board. Whaley has been a scoring machine to start the season, averaging over three touchdowns a game. He has been doing it in all facets; returning a punt over 90 yards in one game; rushing and receiving in another. Against Beach district contender, Ocean Lakes, Whaley showed off his arm as well. "Coach saw that they were leaving Rick alone on the sweep," Whaley explained, "So we just drew up a play on the sidelines where I threw it back to him." Sure enough, the play was a success, and a wide open Kresinske took a perfect Whaley pass for a twenty five yard gain. Whaley has some experience at quarterback from his youth league days, and his athleticism is on display for the Sundevils on offense, defense and special teams.
Kreisenske and Whaley are friends since their AAU basketball days, and with a strong armed quarterback keeping defenses honest, Whaley has been running over and through the Beach district. As pass catching threat out of the backfield as well, and its tough to imagine a defense that can contain the rising superstar. Throughout all his success Whaley is quick to remember those who helped him get where he is. Family friend Shane Clemens was the one who introduced the game to Kevin, and still plays a key roll in his development as a player. He also wanted to acknowledge his mother and his grandparents for their continued support and encouragement.
While he does want to play football at the college level, Whaley insists that there will be plenty of time to worry about that latter. He knows that there are very few chances at winning a State Championship, and will let nothing become a distraction to achieving that end. After a heart breaking double overtime loss to Oscar Smith in last year's playoffs, Whaley and the Sundevils know that the Tigers are looming. If last month's match-up against Ocean Lakes showed anything; Oscar Smith has taken notice of Whaley. Because the Beach District played a Thursday schedule, the Tigers were able to sneak a peak at their Virginia Beach counterparts. They showed up en force wearing their blue and gold uniforms and watched Whaley run wild, scoring four touchdowns and racking up over 225 yards of total offense. Whaley tried to sound uneffected, "Every team is just another step towards the title." If the begging of the season is any indication, Sundevil fans can be sure that Whaley will bring a focused determination every week, and a State Championship a very real possibility.
