On October 14, I got the opportunity to sit down and have an interview with Greenbrier West’s 16-year-old starting Quarterback, Cole Vandall. Vandall is a Sophomore this year and he is taking over this position after, now graduated, Kaiden Pack.

In his 10 year long football career, Vandall has so far tied 1 record in middle school and broken 1 in high school. Those being “Most Kick Return Touchdowns” and a team record which is “Most Points Scored in a Half”. Aside from football, Vandall plays baseball and does wrestling as well and was even the 2020 WSAZ champion. Vandall is a well-known and loved individual here in Greenbrier County, which he has his athleticism and kindness to thank for that.

As Vandall and I sat and talked, him and I discussed many topics. Those of which vary from his personal life, football career, future, and even his team. And of course for Vandall, there were even jokes made in between.. When asked about the pressure that comes along with the title of being a quarterback in a small town that revolves around high school football, Vandall responded with, “Yeah, there’s a lot of pressure with it. It definitely puts a lot of weight on my shoulders going out there knowing that I can’t make a mistake, I have to play to the best of my ability to help out my team.” To gain such an incredible love for football, one must assume that there was an influence behind that. For Vandall, it’s his cousin. When I asked him who his greatest influence was, he knew fully as to who it was. “I’d say it would have to be someone local,” Vandall said, “I have a cousin and he played high school football at Meadow Bridge. He was always like a hero to me, I’ve always looked up to him and he was the one who really inspired me.”

For anyone that keeps themselves updated, we all know about Owen Schmitt. Schmitt is the former American football fullback who played in the NFL and played college football for West Virginia University. He is now one of the assistant coaches at Greenbrier West. “Onto your team. The talk in and around Charmco is former WVU football legend Owen Schmitt, who is now one of your coaches. How has Schmitt impacted your team so far?” I asked. As to which, Vandall responded with much gratitude behind his thoughts and was excited to talk about this topic. “Coach Scmitt definitely has impacted our team because it just shows us how good people think we can do considering we have someone who played in the big leagues.” Vandall went on to explain further, “I mean, he played for WVU and even in the NFL so it really helps knowing that we have someone who has been there, someone who has been to the place where everyone wants to go, as one of our coaches.” On the lines of Vandall’s team, I asked what keeps him motivated and the answer I received is one that is definitely meaningful. “My team.” Vandall said. “They keep me motivated and just knowing that if I go out and perform good, they’ll go out and perform just as well.” I asked Vandall on Thursday morning if and how his teammates played a role in his performance and they most definitely do. Vandall mentioned his offensive line and running backs. It’s obvious he has quite the love and gratitude for his teammates considering Vandall said, “Yeah, they definitely do. My whole offensive line blocks great for me and my running backs block great when I’m passing. Whenever I hand the ball to them, they do amazing. It’s just, all around, a great team effort.”

So, the question is, does Quarterback Cole Vandall want and hope to make a living out of his sports career? When questioned about if he sees a future with his sports career, he quickly responded with “I definitely see a future with my sports career, I don’t know if I’ll be able to pursue one but I definitely hope I can.” Through his actions and words, it’s quite apparent that Vandall is very grateful to be where he is and especially to have the team he does. Come support Vandall and our Greenbrier West Cavaliers this Saturday as they compete against the Williamstown Yellowjackets during Playoffs!