DALEVILLE, Va. – "Definitely play fast, play smart. Don't overthink it," Lord Botetourt High School senior Isaiah Stephens said. "If you're thinking too much, you're not moving fast. If you know what you're doing, it's simple. Football isn't a hard game. It's pretty simple."
Lord Botetourt definitely made it look easy in 2018. A state semifinal appearance and only two losses marked the season, but there was a lot of talent lost in the offseason.
"It's the same every year. You're just trying to develop the kids and the program," head coach Jamie Harless said. "We've had a couple of kids that have moved to Botetourt that are going to help us. If you keep doing what you're supposed to do, you don't really (need to) rebuild."
And that is proving its worth up front.
"I do think this offensive line can be the best one we've ever had or that I've ever coached," Harless said. "If I can do my job. Big, athletic, strong, smart, all the attributes you're looking for in an offensive line."
When asked what the secret to the size of the team was, Mason Wheeling simply replied, "(We're) just Botetourt."
The size starts with a drink just outside the weight room: chocolate milk.
"I don't even like milk. That chocolate milk ... I could drink it all day," Stephens said. "It's really refreshing. You do feel it, as soon as it gets into your body, it's rebuilding your muscles, it makes you feel like you're doing it for a reason. Like there's a purpose to it."