ONA ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Keian Shelton has joined an illustrious list of players who have captained the Cabell Midland High School football team.
J.J. Roberts, Jason Starkey, Curtis Jones Jr., Logan Osburn, Teran Barnitz and Reese Donahue are some Knights captains who went on to play NCAA Division I football. Shelton has joined them in a leadership role and hopes to replicate their success at the collegiate level. Roberts and Starkey made it to the NFL.
Making SheltonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s title more impressive is heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s merely a junior.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThat hasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t happened here in a long, long time,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Cabell Midland coach Eric Fetty said of a player being named captain before his senior year.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s special. HeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s going to be a really good football player.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Eli Thompson is another junior captain this season.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt feels good to be named a captain,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Shelton said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI have to step it up as a leader. Everybody looks up to me. I need to give 100% every day and give it all for the team.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Shelton is drawing college attention.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt feels good to get my name out there,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Shelton, who has played football since he was 6. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m trying to go D-I.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Where would Shelton like to go? He said anywhere in a three-to-five-hour radius would be ideal, with Marshall University being the preferred destination.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s close to home,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Shelton said.
ThereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s more to SheltonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s attraction to the Thundering Herd. His uncle was Barry Nash, a Marshall player killed in the Nov. 14, 1970 plane crash near Tri-State Airport. Nash was one of six players whose remains couldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t be identified after Southern Airways Flight 932 went down on a rainy, foggy night coming back from Greenville, North Carolina, where Marshall had played East Carolina.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s also why I like Marshall,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Shelton said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt means a lot to the family. It adds extra meaning.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Shelton plays tight end and defensive end/linebacker. He said he liked defense better most of his life but now prefers offense. Shelton said heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll play anywhere the Knights want him. Last week in a 35-7 season-opening loss at Pikeville, Shelton played linebacker.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI can do a lot,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Shelton said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve had to put in a lot of extra work.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Shelton said he wasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t pleased with his performance against the Panthers.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t think I did very well,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Shelton said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI need to step it up a little bit. That was my first time playing linebacker.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Shelton said heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s optimistic heading into FridayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s 7 p.m. home game with Capital (0-1). Cabell Midland beat the Cougars 40-19 last season.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI love this team,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Shelton said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re a big brotherhood, way better than we were last year, I think. WeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve just come together. We have to work as a team.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
