By Nick Bowton
nbowton@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó The nickname “King” typically comes with a positive connotation.
LeBron James is King James. The funniest comedians a few years back were The Kings of Comedy.
As for South Rowan linebacker Reid Shaver? He finished his junior season as the Almost-Pick King.
Shaver had a knack for being in the right spot but not intercepting the ball as a cornerback last season. Against East Rowan on Friday, Shaver not only intercepted his first pass of the season but also returned it for a touchdown.
“The quarterback looked right at him, and I was like, ‘He’s going to the fullback,’ ” Shaver said. “That was my man. I got it, and I seen green. I was excited, to say the least. That was a blast.”
Shaver’s 25-yard interception gave South an 18-0 lead in the third quarter, and he recovered his third fumble of the season two drives later.
Shaver plays linebacker behind a defensive line that includes standouts Cadarreus Mason and Kelsey Robinson, so he doesn’t get in on as many awe-inspiring tackles or make as many headlines. Still, he’s a team captain as a senior and a key part of the Raiders’ defense.
“He’s one of those kids that when you look at him a lot of times, he’s quiet,” South coach Jason Rollins said. “But he’s also one of our captains. We’ve had a lot of good captains come through the years, but he’s one of those that has done a good job stepping up and becoming a team leader. What a lot of people don’t see is what he does, being a captain, being a leader, leading the team on the field. It’s little things as a coach you see him do that impresses you more and more.
“What a quality young man he is, and that’s exactly what he is.”
Rollins heaps that kind of praise on Shaver because Shaver is the type of player who didn’t have a problem watching junior Blake Houston beat him out as the starting quarterback. And he didn’t have a problem making the transition from cornerback to linebacker, even though both Shaver and his coaches were skeptical at first.
Shaver credits new defensive coordinator Barry Lipscomb with helping him adjust to linebacker, as Shaver “didn’t know the first step, didn’t know anything” when he switched positions.
“I was like, ‘Oh, man. Wow,’ ” Shaver said of his initial reaction. “I had to start from scratch. But Lips taught me everything that I’ve needed to know. It was a huge adjustment.”
It’s one that came full circle Friday, when Shaver scored his first defensive touchdown.
“For him, all the players, the whole team was excited to see him do it,” Rollins said. “It was picture perfect. You watch it on film, you couldn’t ask a kid to pick one any better than that. A lot of times last year, that almost, shoulda-got-it kind of thing, a lot of that was just learning to be comfortable. He’s at a point now where he’s enjoying the game. He’s the kind of kid that when he walks out on the field, he gives you absolutely everything in his body. He walks out with nothing else left. That’s what you want him to do. Seasons come and go, and at some point that game of football comes to an end.
“Reid is one of those kids you know can hold his head up high and know he played to the end.”
And intercepted a pass while he was out there.