Class AAAA: Five players to watch
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
SHAYNE HALE -- GATEWAY FB-DE
Gateway's Shayne Hale doesn't look like your average 18-year-old.
"Sometimes we go to an under 21 club," said Gateway teammate Cameron Saddler. "He always gets carded because they don't believe he's under 21." The football field is the same for Hale. Often times, it's like he's a man among boys. Hale is a 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior at Gateway who can dominate opponents. He's a fullback on offense, but is known as a standout linebacker. He made the Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 as a junior, racking up 105 tackles, 58 solo and 13 tackles for losses. Rivals.com ranks him the No. 1 inside linebacker in the country and Super Prep the No. 2 linebacker overall. The funny thing is Hale won't play linebacker this year. He has been switched to defensive end. Gateway's coaches like the talents of linebacker Jim Wilson and also wanted to get him in the starting lineup. "This way, we get two of our best players on the field instead of one sitting behind the other," said Gateway coach Terry Smith. "We threw it out to Shayne in the summer months, and he was a little upset about it. But we sat him down and said this is what's best for the team. He said, 'Coach, if this is what's best for the team, then I'm for it.' "Defensive end is actually a nice fit for Shayne. It's probably where he'll play in college." Hale is being heavily recruited, but has narrowed his list to West Virginia, Michigan, Virginia and Ohio State. Hale and Saddler, a running back-defensive back, might go to the same school. -- By Mike White