Evans:

G affney's Alex Evans receives high marks when the coaches review the game film each week. But those grades pale in comparison to his work in the classroom, where he has a 4.3 grade point average.

"I was raised by my parents Roy and Cindy to do well in school," Evans said. "School comes first. I have to do my best and excel with the grades first."

He scores high on the football field, too, where he provides the Indians with versatility by playing both nose guard and defensive end.

"He's a lineman that can play several positions," Gaffney defensive coordinator Dan Jones said. "He has the speed and strength and is smart enough to learn both positions."

He can seemingly be everywhere on the football field - just ask Byrnes High and its quarterback Willy Korn. After starting at nose guard for most of the game, Evans switched to defensive end, where he sacked Korn and forced a fumble near the Rebels' goal line. The Indians scored on the possession to take the lead for good late in the third quarter.

But Evans has other attributes, namely strength. At 5-foot-9, 210 pounds, he is one the strongest players on the team. He bench presses more than 300 pounds and can squat more than 400 pounds.

"I've always been pretty strong," he said. "Getting in the weight room helps."

Although he often battles bigger offensive linemen, Evans insists his lack of size can be an advantage.

"The lowest man wins," he said. "I'm shorter, so I don't have to adjust."

He was encouraged to play football by his uncle, who coached a little league team.

"I didn't really like it at first," he said. "I really didn't know what to expect at first."

But it didn't take him long to excel at the sport. He started along the offensive and defensive lines for Gaffney Middle.

As a ninth-grader, he was a fixture on the defensive line for the ninth-grade team. He started at defensive end for the junior varsity as a sophomore.

Last year, he was moved to nose guard late in the preseason - and quickly found a home.

"I liked it because I got to start as a junior and not a lot of people can do that," he said.

He had one of his biggest games against Summerville in the Big 16 state championship game when he recorded a sack and a couple of tackles for losses.

This season, Evans has been instrumental in the rapid development of the first-year starters on defense.

"I felt like I needed to carry more of the load," Evans said. "I felt like I was there for (defensive line coach Ben Fuller) if he needed me."

He credits a week's stay at Erskine College for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award for developing his leadership skills.

"I learned that the person who does what is needed to be done was the leader," he said. "I learned how to step up and work well with others. It's actions not words."