No shame in Coble's game as playoff run ends

Lisa Billings/Chesterfield Observer Meadowbrook High Quarterback Desmond Coble practices his throw during a practice last month.

Perhaps the easiest question to answer would be: Just what did Desmond Coble not do for the Meadowbrook High School football team this season?

Well, he didn't drive the team bus.

Other than that, just about everywhere you looked, there was Coble putting on a really terrific gridiron show. And thanks to his stellar efforts, along with a talented, hard-working bunch of teammates, the Monarchs once again put on a fabulous performance for their fans that ended in a hard-fought 17-14 loss to unbeaten Varina (12-0) in the Central Region Division 6 finals on Nov. 22 at Varina.

Coble, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound southpaw, chipped in to assist coach Bill Bowles' Monarchs' cause in several ways.

He started at quarterback for the third consecutive season. This fall, he passed the 1,000-yard mark throwing the football (1,067 yards) and running it (1,559 yards). He also had double digits in scoring touchdowns both ways, passing for 16 touchdowns and galloping to another dozen.

"I just try to make people miss," Coble said of his elusive running style. As for his dynamic air game, he said, "You just try to make the reads and throw it to the right receivers at the right time."

That brings up Coble's next talent, that of a defensive back for Meadowbrook. He only started at that position in about half of the Monarchs' games this season - those where Bowles figured the team could best use his athleticism to help stifle the other team's attack. Case in point: He returned an interception 65 yards in Meadowbrook's 27-14 win over county rival Lloyd C. Bird in the regional semifinal game, helping to rally the Monarchs from a 14-0 fourth-quarter deficit.

Coble said he has no problem only seeing part-time action as a defensive-back starter.

"I like playing both ways, but I prefer playing offense more because I can touch the football more and run it."

There's more. Coble also returned punts and kickoffs for Meadowbrook and was the team's back-up punter. He certainly played the role of Superman for the Monarchs who finished the season at 9-3, jumping into the phone booth and changing roles any way he could to help ensure success for him and his teammates.

"He's a great athlete, and he's a level-headed kid," Bowles said. "His maturity level is the biggest thing. As a freshman, he took some knocks, but we understood he was going to get much better.

"This season, we put more decisions into his hands, and he responded well. He did a very good job for us."

That did not surprise his teammates, who looked to the young man for leadership this season. "He helps keep us focused," said junior Dominique Roane, a starting defensive end and offensive guard.

That, said Coble, was an area of emphasis for him this season. "I wanted to be more of a leader," he said. "I think the key is staying composed and focused. As I get older, I think it becomes easier for me to do."

So what makes Coble so tough to handle for foes? "He's got speed, and he's a very talented quarterback," Roane said, "and he never gives up."

And off the field? "He's a nice person... a real cool person, and he's fun to hang out with," Roane said.

Meadowbrook's excellent run surprised no one this season. The Monarchs have been postseason mainstays for the past several seasons under Bowles, who took over the program as head coach in 1998. They won the Division 5 state championship in 2004, a year after losing in the regional final.

They lost in the regional final again in 2005, then went 6-4 in 2006 before losing in last year's regional final to Hermitage.

Bowles said the team's transformation into a consistent winner and regional contender started in 2002 "when we made some wholesale changes. We put more emphasis on our weight [lifting] program and upped our requirements as far as off-season workouts go. We started getting more quality athletes.

"And, we've had good continuity in our coaching staff. That helps the kids because they know what to expect from the coaches."

Despite the bitter aftertaste of the team's tough loss to Varina, Bowles was proud of their achievements this season. "It's been a great group," he said. "I'm real proud of them all."

With the return of quality athletes such as Coble and Roane, Meadowbrook should again field a quality team next season.

"We just love playing football," Coble said, "and we all get along well."