ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 14, 1996 TAG: 9611140016
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
He's the silent giant on the Pulaski High School football team.
At 6-foot-3, 297 pounds, senior lineman Brian Dalton is the biggest man on the football team. He is also one of the quietest.
Dalton lines up every Friday night on both sides of the ball, going about his business mostly without a word. He does the grunt work for the Cougars, and he loves every minute of it.
"I've been on the football field ever since I knew what it was, and even before then," Dalton said. "My dad used to coach football and he let me practice even before I was old enough to play in the games.
Dalton is a two-year starter at Pulaski at tight tackle on offense and a one-year starter at defensive tackle. The only returning starter on the line, Dalton makes it his responsibility to remind his teammates of the Cougar's long-standing football excellence. And he won't let any one them forget the way the past two years have ended: second-round exits from the playoffs.
After losing to E.C. Glass in the 1994 postseason, the Cougars were soundly beaten by them in the a 1995 regular-season meeting, 35-3. The two teams met again in the '95 playoffs to the same outcome. But despite the third consecutive loss, Dalton said last season's game against E.C. Glass is one he will always remember.
"They had beaten us pretty bad up at their field during the regular season," Dalton said. "And in the playoffs we were leading them in the fourth quarter with just four or five minutes to go. Even though we lost I'll never forget it. They went far in the playoffs and that could have been us."
Pulaski County has again advanced to the Group AAA state playoffs. Its first game in the Northwest region playoffs comes Friday when it hosts Stonewall Jackson from the Cardinal District in Manassas, Va.
Dalton and his coach, Joel Hicks, agree Stonewall is the team to beat in the region, and say if the Cougars can get past the Raiders, they will have a good chance at capturing the regional title. Dalton said he will carry with him into Friday's game a desire to make his last year Pulaski County his best.
"This whole team has determination," Dalton said. "It's about wanting to go far. For the seniors, it's our last year - and we want to make it the best we've had."
In giving 100 percent effort on the field for his team, Dalton has also opened the door to the possibility of continuing his football career at the collegiate level. He has drawn interest from East Carolina, East Tennessee State, James Madison, the University of Richmond and Virginia Tech.
"Brian is a smart offensive lineman," Hicks said. "He knows the game of football and doesn't make too many mental mistakes. He has also worked hard in the weight room. As a freshman he was a big boy, but not very strong. I think he's definitely a college prospect."
Dalton said he credits Coach Hicks for his improvements, and will never forget one very important lesson.
"He has taught me that you can always be successful if you work hard," Dalton said. "But you have to work hard in the offseason and in season on weight and conditioning."
There's something else this senior said will stand out in his mind above all when he thinks back on his days as a Pulaski County football player. It's not more advice from the coaching staff and it's not a particular game. It's a feeling.
Steeped in tradition, the Cougars make their entrance onto the field like few other teams. They don't come charging out of the locker room and they don't do anything as individuals. They march side-by-side down the long flight of stairs connecting the field house to playing field as lights illuminate on the staircase and music blares in the background.
"Walking down the steps," Dalton said with a pause, undoubtedly retracing his footsteps in his mind, "is just an incredible feeling. The first time I walked down them I got chill bumps. And the first game of my senior year I did too."
And Saturday, when Dalton stands atop the stairs on a game that could be his last in a Cougar football uniform?
"Oh yes," Dalton said. "It's going to be unforgettable."
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: At 6-foot-3, 297 pounds, senior lineman Brian Dalton isby CNBthe biggest man on Pulaski County's football team.