Football: Painter can see it now: Wins no longer rare for Colonels (08-31-06)
By Tommy Keeler Jr. (Daily Staff Writer)
WINCHESTER — J.T. Painter can see it all in his mind: the sack he's going to make, the tackles his teammates will rack up. It's all there in his head.
The James Wood senior can even see the scoreboard after the game — a Colonels win.
The day before every game, Painter visualizes what's going to happen, or at least what he hopes will happen.
"I can see the other team's quarterback — everything," he said. "Then I'll wake up and I feel like I've already played the game."
Once Painter actually takes the field, he is a force for the James Wood defense. The linebacker is the quarterback of the Colonels' defense, making players around him better.
Painter said he learned to be intense from one of his first coaches.
"In Little League football, I had a coach named Troy Hill and he was an ex-Marine," Painter said. "He was really intense and he really got me into hitting. I've loved it ever since. Being able to hit somebody is the best feeling."
It's Painter's third year on varsity, and he is expected to be one of the leaders this time around.
"I know the other guys are looking to me," he said. "I try to be intense on the field. They're only going to be as intense as you are."
"J.T. knows the defense and understands where everybody should be," assistant coach Brian Thomas said. "If there's a problem, he understands what went wrong and how to correct it. If the other guys don't understand something, he can steer them in the right direction."
The Colonels gave up 29.1 points per game last year and struggled against both the run and the pass. James Wood won only one game in its first year under legendary coach Walter Barr. The veteran coach has had success everywhere he has been, meaning this season could be the year things begin to turn around for the Colonels.
Painter said he sees a change in his teammates' attitudes heading into their opener against Clarke County.
"We did a seven-on-seven camp over the summer and did well there," Painter said. "I think that gave everybody some confidence. We had a lot of players go to the Clarke County-Musselman [W.Va.] scrimmage, just to see what they looked like. In the past, we've never had players do that."
Painter could play some fullback, but Barr said the Colonels plan to keep him mostly on defense.
Not only is Painter solid on the field, but he is also a track standout. He finished fourth in the Group AA meet in high hurdles last year.
The sports are different, but Painter said he enjoys them both.
"If there's one thing that rivals football for me, it's track," he said. "I love hurdles. Most people don't like to do hurdles, but I just love to compete."
While Painter doesn't visualize himself before every race, he does play a few keys on his air guitar. Before a meet at Millbrook two years ago, his parents noticed he was dancing around to the music before a race.
"It became a joke, so I started strumming a few keys before each race," Painter said. "In track, I'm a little more laid-back. I'm just having fun."
Painter said his goal for this season is to win the state title in hurdles. On the gridiron, he just wants to enjoy more success in his final season.
He said he hasn't visualized how many wins they will get, but he believes the Colonels will gain more respect this season.
"Teams are always going to underestimate us — until we beat them," Painter said. "Two wins for us would be a nice step, but I want more than that. I'm looking for five or six.
"I'm tired of being the bottom rung of the Northwestern District, but we all have to want to change that in order for it to happen."
