Back in May, Isaiah Beaty won four awards at an engineering fair in Akron, Ohio.
He hopes the final judgment from his play on the football field will be equally impressive.
Beaty will be one of three players assuming much larger roles in Cleveland’s wide receiver corps this season. The 6-foot-5, 191-pound senior didn’t play his freshman and sophomore seasons and last year primarily was a tutee while the Blue Raiders’ explosive offense rang up 5,886 yards on their way to a 10-4 finish that ended in the Class 5A state semifinals.
Now quarterback Austin Herink is gone, as are receivers Tyler Davis, D.J. Jones and Parker Smith, who combined for 166 catches, 2,614 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Beaty slides into one of the vacant slots.
“I feel comfortable out there,” he said. “Last year, I was iffy on what I needed to be doing, but things have opened up for me. I don’t know if it was from watching different types of receivers last year – Tyler was nothing but speed, while D.J. was bursts of quickness, moves and cuts – but watching that combination-type style has made me feel comfortable in what I’m doing.”
Beaty is a very versatile person. He has started parts of all three seasons of his basketball career and also qualified for the 2013 state decathlon in track and field, finishing ninth.
And there’s his science prowess.
“I love science,” he said. “When the ball is thrown and I’m not on the field – which hopefully won’t be much this year – I think about the line of movement of the ball. My mind’s always focusing in on science. When I run different routes, I’m thinking of geometry and the different shapes. It helps me with my precision – being able to think of schoolwork during the game, and when the ball’s in the air, I feel more comfortable the ball’s going to land in my hands when I make that break.”
In addition to his two-year hiatus from the sport, Beaty also had to go through a position change, as he split reps at quarterback with classmate and new starting quarterback Austin Massey while both were in middle school. Blue Raiders coach Ron Crawford said Beaty’s improvement has been like “essentially having an 18-year sophomore” on the field.
“A very talented 18-year old sophomore, though,” Crawford said. “He’s a talented kid and a talented athlete, and a bright kid that picks stuff up well. We expect a lot out of him this year, but he has a maturity and an intelligence to understand those expectations and to be able to handle things. I think he, in addition to us expecting a lot out of him, he expects a lot out of himself.
“Last year, he came to work every day trying to get better. His focus is good, and it’s the ones that practice with a purpose that get better quicker. He’s done all those things, and I sure hope that translates into success this year because we lost two really good receivers that could stretch the football field and go get the football. We want him to be the best he can be – he’s not supposed to be Tyler or D.J. We just need him to use his skill set, and hopefully he’ll turn into a threat for us this year.”
– Gene Henley
CLEVELAND BLUE RAIDERS
Head coach: Ron Crawford (15-9 in two years here; 116-54 overall)
Last year: 10-4; lost 49-14 to Knoxville West in the 5A state semifinals
Returning starters (O/D/K): 7/3/1
2014 Schedule
(all games at 7:30 Eastern unless noted)
Aug. 21 – McCallie at Finley Stadium
Aug. 29 – Cookeville
Sept. 5 – McMinn County*
Sept. 12 – at Wilson Central, 8
Sept. 19 – at Soddy-Daisy*
Sept. 26 – Knoxville West
Oct. 3 – East Hamilton*
Oct. 10 – at Bradley Central*
Oct. 17 – Walker Valley*
Oct. 31 – at Ooltewah*
- District 5-AAA game
Control panel: RBs T.J. Parker (5-11, 165, Sr.) and Raekwon Bunion (5-10, 181, Sr.) combined for 2,050 yards and 10 touchdowns last year and expect similar production behind a veteran offensive line. WR/DB Eric Goodwin (5-11, 182, Sr. ) is the leading returning receiver, with 36 catches, 365 yards and three touchdowns.
New producers: Austin Massey (6-3, 235, Sr.) takes over the quarterback position for the Raiders and is an area Dynamite Dozen member. Isaiah Beaty (6-4, 190, Sr.) takes over one of the vacant receiver positions and provides size, speed and athletic ability. Linebacker Ben Wyrick (5-10, 200, Jr.) will be asked to make an immediate impact with only three starters returning on defense.
By the numbers:
17 – The Raiders’ 10-win season in 2013 was their first since the 1996 campaign, when they won 11 games and advanced to the state quarterfinals.
49 – Passing yards in 2013 for 2014 starting quarterback Austin Massey.
1 – Hall of Famers on the Cleveland coaching staff. Head coach Ron Crawford was recently inducted into Riverdale’s hall.