When Blake Betette was in kindergarten, inspired by his older brother, he played flag football with other students.
“I started in kindergarten. I played flag football, and I’ve always had a love for it ever since. A lot of it had to do with my older brother Jackson. He got me into athletics as a kid, I’ve always just enjoyed doing athletic things. That’s kind of my safe space,” Betette, junior, wide receiver, said.
Because athletics have always been important in his life, he has played multiple sports such as track, baseball, and different types of football.
“I’ve played tackle football since third grade, but I’ve played flag or some form of football pretty much my whole life since I was four years old,” Betette said. “I’ve been involved in a lot of athletics like that, I played baseball since I was around four. Obviously, I quit baseball recently, but athletics in general has just been a huge part of my life.”
Betette started as a linebacker in middle school and moved to wide receiver once he got to high school. Head Football Coach Walter Wilson has been a big influence on Betette and is the reason he now plays wide receiver.
“Since my freshman year, actually after eighth grade, he kind of took me under his wing,” Betette said. “Since then he never really let me out of his sight. He’s been there for me a lot of times, good and bad. I just really appreciate him.”
Wilson has coached Betette for three years and has watched him progress through his football career.
“He’s a good teammate and he’s a good person. He has good character,” Wilson said. “If you know Blake, Blake is going to do what Blake does. For the most part, he does everything he can to help his team.”
Betette’s teammates help motivate him to pursue the sport. Sophomore Isaiah Small has known Betette for years and sees the effort he puts in.
“Blake is a good teammate because he’s always pushing and always striving for us to get better every day; he’s just a leader,” Small, wide receiver, said. “He brings a lot of confidence and momentum with the plays he makes in the games.”
One of Betette’s biggest achievements this year was being nominated for State Player of the Week by High School Sports Report (HSSR). He had 11 catches, 140 yards, and one touchdown on Sept. 25 and with 11 catches, along with 114 yards and one touchdown on Oct. 29. Additionally, coaches within the region selected Betette as an All-Region Player, which is where an athlete is known as one of the best players in their region.
“I was number one in the state for a little bit in receiving yards. That was a pretty big accomplishment for me, which I was proud of, and hopefully, I can get back there for playoffs,” Betette said.
Despite all of Betette’s accomplishments, this season hasn’t been as smooth as hoped.
“In the A.C. Flora game, I hurt my shoulder. I had a separated AC joint, which is basically where you tear ligaments connecting your collarbone and your shoulder,” Betette said.
While recovering, he continued to play through the pain so he wouldn’t let his team down.
“I went to the doctor the day after I got hurt, and they got me on the right plan to get back for the next game. We ended up having a bye week the next week, which was nice and it worked out well,” Betette said. “I was just working with the athletic training staff every day, and just working hard to get back. Knowing you can have some pain but still playing through that is important, and it’s been good so far even with the injury.”
While Betette had a big impact on the football team this season, he still believes he can improve aspects of his game that he struggles with.
“To get into college or to go play for a good college you need a really good 40 time and that’s one of the things I need to work on. A 40 time is how fast you can run 40 yards, which is really important at any level. I can improve everything just by working in the off-season every day. Getting faster, working on catching, anything I can do to become a better player on the field is important,” Betette said.
According to Wilson, Betette’s work ethic and progress in high school allows him to improve his game and achieve his future goals.
“I mean he decided to do what he needs to do to make him a premier player. He’s gotten faster, bigger, stronger,” Wilson said.
Betette plans to play football for as long as possible and has talked to some local colleges while waiting for more offers next year.
“I’ve talked to a few colleges. Most smaller division one or division two colleges won’t reach out until after your junior year, but I’ve still been talking to some local colleges like Coastal Carolina and a school like James Madison,” Betette said.
Editor’s note: Blake Betette is a member of the CavPlex Convergence Media magnet program, which did not have any impact on the coverage of this story by The Saber.
