Chandler Belk found out he would be a starting wide receiver the day Reagan opened its 2013 season against North Forsyth. He admitted that he didn’t know what to expect. It didn’t take for him to figure it out. “My very first catch was a touchdown, and I was like ‘Wow, this is crazy,’” Belk said. It got crazier. The game wound up being postponed because of rain, and when it was continued the next day, Belk caught two more touchdown catches. It was splashy introduction for Belk, who at 5-10 and 160 pounds — “soaking wet,” according to Coach Josh McGee of Reagan — wouldn’t make much of a splash hitting the water. But it was no aberration. Belk, becoming the favored target for quarterback Jake Easter, went on to catch 64 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns, and he was selected to the Journal’s All-Northwest Team by area coaches as one of the top three receivers in Northwest North Carolina. “His size, it means absolutely nothing when you are talking about Chandler Belk,” McGee said. “It’s his knack for the football. He knows when to time his jumps, he knows when to lean into a defender. He knows how to run a route that will get him open.”
Inadvertently using his size as trap might have worked last season, but Belk, a senior, is getting respect, as well as special treatment, this season. During a 45-31 loss to East Forsyth last Friday, the Eagles threw a curveball at Belk and the Raiders when Madison Cone, a sophomore safety, switched to cornerback and remained with Belk the entire game. Cone made his presence felt with two interceptions, but Belk still worked his way open enough to make eight catches for 94 yards. “On film, I thought No. 3 was going to guard me,” Belk said. “I had no idea they would do that. I was expecting them to press, and they were playing 10 yards off. Me and Jake like to throw the deep ball, and we couldn’t get that. That’s what they did, take away the deep ball.” Coach Todd Willert of East Forsyth indicated after the game that the Eagles had a great deal of respect for Belk, especially his knack for leaking behind defenders when plays break down. “The first thing you notice is he’s a competitor,” Willert said. “He takes it personal if you run man-to-man against him, or if you knock a pass away. His other biggest attribute, he is an unbelievable route-runner for a high-school football player.
I would tell recruiters he is the best route-runner around this area. He has good speed, but the way he comes out of cuts and can cut off a route, it’s unbelievable.” After spending his freshman year on the junior varsity in 2011 and playing in only a handful of games, Belk started working with Juwon Crowell — a former Reagan assistant coach who is now an assistant at Carver — during the summer, a trend that continued each of the past three summers. That helped Belk refine his route-running and sharpened his hands, which were always good. But Belk has something else that he isn’t given much credit for. “He has been timed at 4.54 (seconds over 40 yards),” McGee said. “The kid runs good, and I think that’s what catches people off guard. People underestimate his speed. There have been times this year where he just outruns coverage.” Belk, who toasted Glenn for nine catches, 151 yards and three touchdowns, is on the way to an even bigger season than he had in 2013. He already has 24 catches for 417 yards and six touchdowns. McGee said that plenty of Division II colleges are interested in Belk, and Belk has felt the strongest vibes from Wingate, where he attended camp and will attend a game this weekend. Belk — who said that he set lofty goals of 100 catches, 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns this season — said he will go anywhere he can play. “He is getting tons of looks from Division II programs, but the year he is having right now, I believe he can play at the FCS level,” McGee said. “Size will play a role, but they put too much emphasis on how big you are. “His heart is huge, his effort is unbelievable, and it’s because of those things he has developed into the player he is. He will go to a great school, play and get a great education.”
Mason Linker/Winston-Salem Journal|PrepZone
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