varsity.roanoke.com

STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS The Roanoke Times

T.J. Shaw has passed for 680 yards and seven touchdowns for Franklin County, which can wrap up the WVD with a win tonight.

STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS The Roanoke Times

Franklin County changed its offense following a 29-14 setback to Salem. QB T.J. Shaw (10) and the Eagles have not lost since.

ROCKY MOUNT -- T.J. Shaw has gone from New Jersey to a Franklin County football jersey.

It's one reason why the Eagles are one victory away from claiming the Western Valley District championship.

Shaw's southward odyssey is easy to explain.

His father, Pete, a former head coach of the now-defunct Roanoke Steam Arena Football 2 franchise, has been a full-time assistant coach at Ferrum College since 2005.

Pete Shaw also is a former head coach of two Arena Football League teams -- the New Jersey Gladiators and New Jersey Red Dogs -- with a resume that includes coaching stints at eight colleges including Kentucky.

As a youngster, T.J. and his dad tossed the football around the New York Giants practice facility and went one-on-one in tackling drills on the indoor surface at Roanoke Civic Center.

"It's been pretty special to be lucky enough to have a dad that's coached many, many years at all levels of football," T.J. Shaw said. "Because of that, I've been exposed to some of the best coaches and some of the best knowledge in the game."

T.J. cashed in this summer when he earned the starting quarterback position at Franklin County. The 5-foot-10, 150-pound junior has passed for 680 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games for the Eagles (7-1, 3-0), who can wrap up the WVD title with a victory tonight at George Washington.

"This is what we set out to do from Day 1," Shaw said. "To play GW, which is just a great program, for it to come down to a game with them to win it, it couldn't get any better."

Shaw certainly has proven his ability to adapt to big changes.

He was in William Byrd's feeder program until the family moved from Vinton after Pete Shaw was hired at Ferrum.

"It was hard," T.J. said. "You build yourself up at Byrd and them you come here. But I've moved quite a few times in my life. I actually went to three different elementary schools in one year."

Even so, making a mark at Franklin County -- the state's largest school west of Richmond -- figured to be a daunting task.

Not for this kid.

"I love competition," said Shaw, who started in the secondary as a sophomore. "I've grown up around it. I'm a pretty competitive person."

Even if it meant battling his buddy.

Shaw won Franklin County's quarterback job by beating out Nick Adams, whose father, Cleive also is a Ferrum assistant. Nick Adams fills crucial roles on the team as a starting safety and punter.

"Even when I was living in Vinton and my dad was coaching at Ferrum we used to hang out and play with each other," Shaw said.

First-year Franklin County coach Chris Jones put Shaw at the controls of his split-back veer offense, but following a 29-14 loss to Salem in early September, Jones junked the system in favor of the I-formation.

A huge offensive line has paved the way for 1,172 rushing yards by tailback Tae Gilbert. Shaw has completed 55.7 percent of his passes with 6-foot-4 junior Thad Basham averaging more than 20 yards per catch with five TDs.

"It fits our linemen better," Jones said. "It fits everybody better."

Pete Shaw lauded Jones, who used the veer to win VHSL state titles in back-to-back years at Bath County and Heritage, for making the change.

"You have to give Coach Jones credit," he said. "Here he's won two state titles. They could have just gone with what worked in the past. After the Salem game, they put their egos aside. They switched to the I-formation and haven't looked back."

Shaw said he is careful with the advice he gives his son, lest he overstep his bounds.

"I totally try not to interfere," the Ferrum assistant said. "Something I bring up could confuse the issue. I try not to be involved. Basically, I just tried to facilitate his dream."

T.J. was in a daze earlier this year, suffering a concussion in a victory over Bassett that forced him to miss Franklin County's next game.

"If I remember correctly, it was third quarter. I was running down to make the play and the guy got me from behind, helmet to helmet," Shaw said. "They said I didn't even know where I was at.

"I have a concussion-proof helmet. I was actually wearing that when I got the concussion. They said it would have been worse if I didn't have it."

Shaw had to pass a newly implemented memory and recognition test before he was allowed to get back on the field.

"Having that injury kind of set him back awhile, but he's fought back," Jones said. "He's a competitor. That's what I like about him."

T.J., who was born in Allentown, Pa., still has more than a hint of a New Jersey accent, making him stand out even more at the 2,183-student school

"I don't see it," he said. "I don't even see my dad's that much, I guess because I'm so accustomed to it.

"We recently had a substitute teacher and she asked me about my accent. 'You're from up North, aren't you?' "

And plenty of Franklin County fans are glad of it.