When asked to describe Churchland High School senior offensive lineman Ali Scott, head coach Cedric Cradle made it blatantly obvious that Scott was the heart and soul of his team.  Cradle, a former Spartan himself, had nothing but praise for the 6’4″ 330 pound Scott.  ”He’s one of those diamonds in the rough.”  This was visible even before our interview began, as Scott was checking up on his classmates in the halls, asking questions and giving a bit of encouragement to one of his fellow linemen.  As they chatted, I noticed him giving advice about dealing with recruiting, which shored up any doubts that this kid was fully involved and aware of the impact his decision made on everyone around him.  Cradle let me know that “[Ali] stays on the big boys, as you can tell.  He’s a big guy, but soft spoken, like a big old teddy bear.  But on the field, its a complete transformation.”

A Philadelphia native, Scott moved to Virginia at eight years old with his Father and started playing little league football with the Hampton Cavaliers.  His uncle was a Semi-Pro player, and watching him gave Ali the hunger to pick up the sport.  This wasn’t your typical “and the rest is history” story though, as Scott discussed his dislike for the sport at first.  ”I didn’t like it at first, I was a little lazy.”  But as a testament to the strong work ethic he still maintains, Ali stuck it out those first few seasons and came away with three youth league city championships before moving over to Portsmouth.

The move proved to be a good one, as Scott was then introduced to Cradle who was taking the helm as Churchland’s new coach.  Coming in during a “changing of the guard” can be a double-edged sword, but having a presence like Scott at the ground level can make the transition a much easier and helps to build a strong foundation.  Cradle mentioned that he’s “been around Ali all four years of high school..  He helped turn this program around.  It was in the dumps, and those guys like Ali, they were the catalysts that turned this program around so fast.”  The chemistry and trust developed among that young nucleus and carried Churchland to a 7-4 record and playoff birth in 2009, Scott’s Senior season.  The Truckers were a dominant run heavy offense with Scott not just anchoring the ground game, but being the heart and soul of the team.

So why Norfolk State?  Scott was fielding offers from Morgan State, Hampton, and others, but felt that NSU would be the best fit for him.  With a substantiative ground attack spearheaded by returning tailback DeAngelo Branche (Norfolk, VA), and the departures of Senior QB Dennis Brown (Miami, FL) and Junior WR Chris Bell (NJ), the Spartan offense is shaping up to be a run early and often squad in 2010.  When asked what the best aspect of his game was in his opinion, he was quick to answer: “Power, domination..  I can pass block too, but i’m a run blocker.”  Aside from the on-field draw, Scott made it clear that coming to NSU wasn’t just about how he could contribute to the team.  ”I chose NSU because I like the college, it’s around the area and i’m not trying to go too far from home [away from] my parents, good facilities, and one of the biggest stadiums in black colleges! You can’t beat that.”  He plans to begin his academic career undeclared, but is pretty sure he’s going to end up as a business or marketing major.

Before Scott makes his way down to Park Avenue however, he’s still got a basketball season to finish up as the starting Center of Churchland’s basketball team, and a semester of classwork to complete to become a high school graduate, both small tasks for such a big guy with an even bigger future.