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Cameron Anderson: 10 carries, 83 yards, two TDs during Blacksburg High Football practice

Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times

Terrenct Travis: passing: 8-for-14, 130 yards. Rushing: 7 carries for 106 yards and three TDs

| Ray Cox

ray.cox@roanoke.com, 381-1672

BLACKSBURG -- In the lexicon of preseason football analysis, Terrence Travis and Cameron Anderson were known as "question marks."

The term is a polite way of saying, "These are boys we don't know much about. For better or worse, they're our starters. That is, until it is determined that they are incapable of justifying our original faith in them."

Blacksburg High School had a bunch of question marks coming into the 2009 season, none more pressing than who would be the new quarterback and running back. Travis was a first-time varsity starter and Anderson a first-year running back.

Travis, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound junior, had limited varsity experience. That's not totally unexpected of a sophomore third-stringer.

Just how limited was that playing time under center?

"I played 10 downs total the whole year," said Travis, otherwise a starter at safety a season ago.

There are degrees of inexperience. There are those who haven't played much. Then there are those who haven't played at all. Anderson fit the latter description. Sure, he'd played the sport, just not at the varsity level. That's a pretty major distinction.

So, you ask, where was a young man who measures 5-10, 190 pounds instead of playing football? The answer: For the past two years, his schoolwork was not up to the standards required for membership on a varsity sports team.

On Friday nights last fall he sat up in the grandstand, almost ill from watching a sport he loved but could not play. But that wasn't even the end of it. There were also the questions from his peers.

"Dude, why couldn't you get that schoolwork done? We need you on the field, and you aren't here."

He heard that some.

"Only about 100 times," said Anderson, who last played football as a freshman.

The Bruins had other concerns and questions going into last week's opener with traditional rival Giles, always a rough go. The top concerns for Blacksburg, aside from the always tough Spartans, were how the new QB and running back were going to work out.

Between the two of them, Travis and Anderson answered more questions in the Giles game than a guy being interrogated by the police.

As Blacksburg was rolling to a 35-7 victory, the pair of backfield mates accounted for a combined 189 rushing yards and five TDs, three of the scores courtesy of Travis.

Travis showed a strong arm (8-for-14 for 130 yards and an interception), excellent speed and elusiveness and, most important, poise and leadership.

As for Anderson, he averaged 8.3 yards per carry while running inside and outside.

"He knows how to make people miss," Blacksburg coach David Crist said.

Anderson's determination not to miss any more football after the 2008 season went up in the smoke of good intentions but inadequate academic execution. By second semester, however, the grades had come up enough that he was eligible to run track last spring. He was back at last.

"Cameron has worked extremely hard to get his eligibility back," Crist said. "I know, I had him in algebra."

The work didn't end at the classroom door, either. Anderson got himself in football shape for the first time in three years. He was ready, and last week's opening night launch was the proof.

Travis -- who comes from distinguished high school sports pedigree that includes his older brother, Marcus, and sister, Josylen, both top basketball players -- had a terrific debut at the controls of the Bruins' spread offense. Pressure comes with the job, but he had an extra helping of it. Travis was replacing Trey Gresh, a four-year starter who graduated with a helmet full of school passing records. No wonder Travis didn't see much playing time.

Which isn't to say he sat on his hands and sulked. Travis made the most of his time as an understudy.

"Trey was a great, great player and a great team leader," he said. "I definitely couldn't have asked for anybody better to learn from to help me out, knowing different defenses, reading the plays, stuff like that. He knew it all, basically.

"He played for four long years."

Spoken like a guy who's waited a long time for his turn.

"I'd never had any experience waiting under somebody for a chance to play," Travis said.

It's safe to say Anderson never had to wait on playing time himself. There's no doubt there were enough people waiting on him to play.

"I played football since I was in fourth grade and I loved it ever since," he said. "Not playing was really hard."

Of course, he could have made it a little easier on himself in that regard by working harder on his academics.

"I don't think that was it," he said. "I lost my train of thought. I didn't concentrate as hard as I should have."

That last year of high school sports looming has a way of focusing one's thoughts.

"What really turned on the light for me was it was my senior year coming up," he said. "I did not want to miss my last year of playing football in high school. It could be my last year of playing football ever. It's my last time to get it done to prove that I can play at the collegiate level. I know I'm going to have to come out here and work hard, harder than anybody else because I haven't played in a while."

Anderson's labors had an immediate impact.

"As the preseason progressed, he began to get back into the things he did as a freshman," Crist said. "He's getting some of his skills back."

Anderson ought to take some pressure off Travis, as has an able receiving corps that includes Ricky Sowers, Chase Amacher and Sean Gibson, all seniors.

"We've been playing together since Little League, so I know what kind of athlete he is," Travis said of Anderson. "So did the other players on the team. We knew he was going to be a difference-maker on the offensive side of the ball because of his agility and quickness. He's definitely a factor."