Sparta
White County’s Hunter Broyles only thought his high school football career had come to an end back in November when the Warriors were eliminated from the postseason.
Instead, Broyles was given a spot in the TACA East West All-Star Game.
“It's a great opportunity for Hunter. It's a huge honor for him and for our program,” Warrior head coach David Foster said. “It’s great for our program and community for our kids to get that kind of recognition.”
Broyles said when Foster told him about his selection, he didn’t know what to think of the news.
“To be honest, I had no idea what it even was, since no one from Sparta in had been invited to camp in recent years,” he admitted, adding as he learned about the selection process and about the experiences he would gain, he felt honored to be chosen to represent White County. “Later in the day, I got a text from Brady (Swallows) and he told me all about it. It really is a big deal.”
Broyles joined TACA’s East team and played in the All-Star Game held at Austin Peay University on Saturday, Dec. 13. He logged one-third of the defensive snaps as the East defeated the West 22-16.
“It was a very different experience than anything I’ve done before. The practices were definitely different, being more like a college practice with some of the best coaches in the state,” Broyles said. “It was a huge mental challenge trying to get the playbook down and figuring out how they wanted us to play.”
While he enjoyed playing simply because he loves the game of football, Broyles noted getting to share the field with players he has spent the last four years battling made it much more special.
“I got to know a lot of guys I’ve never met from teams I’ve never played against, so that was cool. But I also got to stop being opponents and get to know some of these guys I’ve lined up against for years on a more personal level,” he said. “Brady, especially, is one of my best friends. Honestly, it was such a fun experience getting to play with him – even if we are on different sides of the ball.”
Broyles’s high school career is now officially over, and he said he didn’t realize how much more playing in the All-Star Game would complete that for him.
“I think it definitely has prepared me, and opened my eyes, for the amount – and type – of work I’m going to have to put in if I want to play at the next level,” he said.
Next up for Broyles is settling on a school that will fit his talents (he was named All Region Most Outstanding Defensive End of the Year) and will match his goals both on and off the gridiron. For now, he’s considering a verbal offer from Carson-Newman, but hasn’t signed his name on anything yet.
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