By Allen Hamrick
It’s not every day that an individual comes up through the ranks with the amount of dedication to their sports as Noah Collins. Noah has been entertaining the fans of Clay County with skills only obtained through hard work and a passion for the game ever since a football was place in his hands. Not only did he excel at the sport of football, but he was also involved with baseball and basketball. However, football is what buttered the bread for Noah. His exploits will be well known for generations, and his skill at throwing threads, bombs, and scrambling is currently unmatched and may never be.
Along with being a part of the offense, he was also instrumental on defense. On defense, he got pounded and gave no quarter only to come out on offense and get the job done. Noah is much like the 70’s football players who came out, did their job and didn’t complain about the pain; he just went to work. Noah is a credit to his school and to his parents, Brian and Anissa Collins, who obviously instilled a strong work ethic and pride that only comes via love of God and the game and a dedication to winning. Noah could be considered to be the top quarterback to ever wear a Panther jersey, and that’s saying a lot. Noah has accumulated many awards and records. Fact is, he holds most all the QB records for passing and TD passes at the school. In his career, he threw 1048 times, completing 634 passes for 9689 yards and 112 touchdown passes. His many accomplishments didn’t go unnoticed as he was named 1st team All State this past season.
What Collins has done for the sport of football can’t be summed up by awards and records but by his spirit that will be remembered long after the awards have succumbed to the dust. His presence on and off the field and the lofty goals he has set for those that follow in his shoes is where his true gift lies as imitation is the finest form of flattery. He will indeed be a hard act to follow as the years roll by, and he will not be forgotten by those youth that build their skills to match his and aspire to be like him. We, the Clay County fans, wish Noah well at the University of Charleston; the Golden Eagles will be a better team because of his commitment to their future.
