Pulling double duty

Steven Reynolds stood outside the bus Friday night at Osbourn Park High School, waiting to head back to Culpeper. The junior wide receiver had made a big fourth-quarter grab, one that had kept the Blue Devils in the game until the final minute.

Like the other Culpeper players, he looked sore and tired. But with the cross country team slated to run at the Ablemarle Invitational Saturday, his weekend was just getting started.

"Late night, early morning," he said.

Reynolds has kept busy so far this fall. He's been running cross country for the past few seasons, but this year, he decided he needed another challenge. So he approached Greg Martz, the CCHS football coach, and said he wanted to join up.

"I just wanted to shake things up," Reynolds said.

State's best
Reynolds isn't just any runner. In fact, he's one of the state's top 800-meter runners in track. Last spring, he was one of three sophomores in the state to run a sub-two-minute half mile. So when his cross country coach, Kim Williams, heard his budding star wanted to hit the gridiron, he was concerned.

"You start worrying about injuries. If you're a receiver going across the middle, somebody is going to light you up," Williams said. "One little hit, and it could be your season. It could be your career. He has Division I (college) potential as a track runner."

But Reynolds was determined. He committed to a rigorous practice schedule that allowed him to compete in both sports.

It had long been his goal to play a season of football. With the talent possibly getting watered down next season when a second county high school opens, Reynolds knew 2007 was his chance.

Busy schedule
The double duty hasn't been easy. Most days, Reynolds will spend roughly 90 minutes at football practice before heading out to do his run. When his cross country teammates are heading home for the day, he's just getting ready to hit the roads to put in his miles.

And on top of the extreme time commitments, Reynolds hadn't played football since middle school. He was rusty. But at 6-foot-6, with blazing speed, Martz knew Reynolds was a potentially dangerous weapon on the football field.

"He's a tough kid. He's a tough player," Martz said. "He's a dedicated guy. He works extremely hard. He's what you want in a football player."

Reynolds might have been inclined to simply drop cross country this year to focus his energy on football. Track is his sport, not cross country. The fall season is simply a way to maintain his fitness.

But Reynolds has big goals for the spring and with with any luck, a college running scholarship could be in his future. But successful track seasons are built in the fall. So, with some encouragement from his parents, Reynolds stuck with running.

"They realize he's one of the elite 800 runners in the state," Williams said. "To be there in the spring, he needs to (run cross country)."

Mixed results
It's been an up and down fall for Reynolds. Playing two sports means he hasn't had the time to properly focus on either one.

Running a Saturday race is difficult enough after relaxing on the couch the night before. Doing it after an evening of throwing blocks and getting hit is almost impossible.

"So far I'm really disappointed. It's been hard trying to balance two sports," Reynolds said. "This is the first year and probably the last."

Despite the difficult balancing act, Reynolds has made a contribution to both teams. He's consistently run in the top five runners in cross country. On Wednesday, he had his best performance of the season, leading the Blue Devils at the all-area meet by finishing 12th in the 128-runner field. Culpeper finished third as a team.

While Martz said the football team hasn't utilized Reynolds' talents as much as they probably should, Reynolds has made four catches for 36 yards.

But while he said he probably won't attempt to play both sports again next fall, its been a rewarding experience for Reynolds, one that has allowed him the opportunity to enjoy being a part of two close-knit teams.

"It's cool having one set of teammates, but having another set is pretty beast," he said.

And for Reynolds, those friendships make it all worth it.

Jason Simcoe can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or