By Jose Negron
Not many high school football players would voluntarily give up the opportunity to catch touchdown passes and run the football to play offensive tackle.
This season, that’s exactly what Elizabeth Forward’s Chase Whatton did.
As the Warriors were ravaged by injuries up front late in the season, Whatton, who usually plays the H-back position on offense, took the initiative to approach head coach Mike Collodi about the idea of joining the offensive line.
His selflessness helped EF continue to excel in the running game as it won the Interstate Conference title and made a run to its first WPIAL championship game in program history.
“So many people just see the statistics and don’t know the things he does behind the scenes,” Collodi said of Whatton, a Bowling Green State University recruit who has become a star at defensive end for the Warriors.
“He knew playing on the offensive line was what was needed for our team to have success. For him to do that at such a young age and be so selfless, it speaks volumes about his character.”
Whatton, who earned conference defensive player of the year honors for the second straight year after collecting 49 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, took pride in more than just his on-field performance.
He, along with veteran leaders such as Nico Mrvos and Evan Lewis, did the simple things like helping to mentor the younger players and making them feel welcomed on the team.
“I definitely took a ton of pride in being our team’s leader the past two years,” said Whatton, who also battled through injuries as a senior. “Watching the older guys, and taking it all in as a freshman and sophomore, allowed me to become the best version of a leader I could be for my guys.”
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