Post by Sly Fox on Nov 23, 2005 14:08:30 GMT -5
Here's a story that is sure to please our Eastern PA contingent on the board:
www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/108-11232005-574475.html
Taylor-made for the job
By TRICIA LAFFERTY
Bucks County Courier Times
Bulldog lineman Caleb Taylor doesn't attend Morrisville high school with the rest of his teammates.
That's because he is home-schooled by his mother, Lois. Quickly nix the initial thought that Taylor spends the day at home wasting his time. That's just not the senior's nature. In fact, the very well-spoken Taylor is an extraordinary student and a talented athlete.
"Caleb is just unique," Morrisville coach Jim Gober said. "He is always so attentive to detail whether it is offense or defense or films; he always comes in with a smile on his face."
Although Taylor has been home-schooled his entire life, Gober said there is no separation at all between Taylor and the rest of his teammates who attend Morrisville High School. Taylor is friendly, funny and certainly ambitious.
Taylor's average day starts at 6 a.m. when he wakes up to deliver papers for the Bucks County Courier Times. He'll return home and sleep until approximately 8:30 a.m. and then Taylor concentrates on his accounting, grammar, literature and economics work during the bulk of the morning and into the early afternoon.
Mid-day, Taylor heads to football practice where he's a captain for the Bulldogs' squad. For three hours on Tuesday and Thursday nights, he takes Spanish and Composition classes to earn college credits at Bucks County Community College. Following Monday practices, Taylor attends chapel with at least 10 of his teammates. Taylor, whose father is a minister at the First Baptist Church of Morrisville, started the chapel group.
"[My faith] is definitely of importance and all of the guys know me for that," Taylor said.
Something that is relatively new to Taylor, though, is the sport of football. The two-way lineman didn't start playing until his sophomore year. Three years later, he finds himself as the anchor of the defensive line and has recorded six sacks, he said. He has narrowed his college choices down to Elon College and Liberty University, where he plans to play football.
"I started playing soccer in eighth grade and in ninth grade I played because my brother was a senior," Taylor said. "After that, I was like, 'Let's try the football team,' and I guess it worked out all right. At Morrisville, no one tells you you can't play a position because it's like you're needed there."
Much to Taylor's dismay, though, Gober has never given the 6-foot-4, 220-pound 17-year-old a chance to live out a certain fantasy of his. Taylor has always wanted to play quarterback but has never taken a snap under center. There's hardly a day of practice that goes by when Taylor doesn't showcase his signature three-step drop. But he doesn't make much of a case for himself once he releases the ball, which isn't the tightest-thrown spiral.
That's just a glimpse of the comedy the jokester provides at practice for a team that has yet to record a win through 10 games this season. But there's still one game remaining. The Bulldogs' matchup with Bristol on Thanksgiving Day is perhaps the most important contest of the year for Morrisville.
"It's definitely the most important game of the year," Taylor said. "It's hard to explain. It's been going on so long and everyone knows about it. There's a saying that it doesn't matter what you do the rest of the season as long as you beat Bristol. It's like you're on top the world."
Just imagine if the Bulldogs defeated Bristol with a wobbly pass from Taylor to a Morrisville receiver. Then he'd really be on top of the world.
By TRICIA LAFFERTY
Bucks County Courier Times
Bulldog lineman Caleb Taylor doesn't attend Morrisville high school with the rest of his teammates.
That's because he is home-schooled by his mother, Lois. Quickly nix the initial thought that Taylor spends the day at home wasting his time. That's just not the senior's nature. In fact, the very well-spoken Taylor is an extraordinary student and a talented athlete.
"Caleb is just unique," Morrisville coach Jim Gober said. "He is always so attentive to detail whether it is offense or defense or films; he always comes in with a smile on his face."
Although Taylor has been home-schooled his entire life, Gober said there is no separation at all between Taylor and the rest of his teammates who attend Morrisville High School. Taylor is friendly, funny and certainly ambitious.
Taylor's average day starts at 6 a.m. when he wakes up to deliver papers for the Bucks County Courier Times. He'll return home and sleep until approximately 8:30 a.m. and then Taylor concentrates on his accounting, grammar, literature and economics work during the bulk of the morning and into the early afternoon.
Mid-day, Taylor heads to football practice where he's a captain for the Bulldogs' squad. For three hours on Tuesday and Thursday nights, he takes Spanish and Composition classes to earn college credits at Bucks County Community College. Following Monday practices, Taylor attends chapel with at least 10 of his teammates. Taylor, whose father is a minister at the First Baptist Church of Morrisville, started the chapel group.
"[My faith] is definitely of importance and all of the guys know me for that," Taylor said.
Something that is relatively new to Taylor, though, is the sport of football. The two-way lineman didn't start playing until his sophomore year. Three years later, he finds himself as the anchor of the defensive line and has recorded six sacks, he said. He has narrowed his college choices down to Elon College and Liberty University, where he plans to play football.
"I started playing soccer in eighth grade and in ninth grade I played because my brother was a senior," Taylor said. "After that, I was like, 'Let's try the football team,' and I guess it worked out all right. At Morrisville, no one tells you you can't play a position because it's like you're needed there."
Much to Taylor's dismay, though, Gober has never given the 6-foot-4, 220-pound 17-year-old a chance to live out a certain fantasy of his. Taylor has always wanted to play quarterback but has never taken a snap under center. There's hardly a day of practice that goes by when Taylor doesn't showcase his signature three-step drop. But he doesn't make much of a case for himself once he releases the ball, which isn't the tightest-thrown spiral.
That's just a glimpse of the comedy the jokester provides at practice for a team that has yet to record a win through 10 games this season. But there's still one game remaining. The Bulldogs' matchup with Bristol on Thanksgiving Day is perhaps the most important contest of the year for Morrisville.
"It's definitely the most important game of the year," Taylor said. "It's hard to explain. It's been going on so long and everyone knows about it. There's a saying that it doesn't matter what you do the rest of the season as long as you beat Bristol. It's like you're on top the world."
Just imagine if the Bulldogs defeated Bristol with a wobbly pass from Taylor to a Morrisville receiver. Then he'd really be on top of the world.
www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/108-11232005-574475.html
