CoalfieldSports.com Week 7 DPOTW: Graham's Cameron Allen

Photo: Diana Sandifer

Here in the Coalfields we are blessed with an abundance of exceptional athletes. Maybe none are more exceptional than Graham’s senior quarterback/defensive back, Cameron Allen.

The G-Men’s senior leader proved that on the field last Friday when they defeated their Southwest District opponent Lebanon, 50-13. Allen only played the first half of the game, but was still able to finish with 10 tackles and a 54-yard interception return for a touchdown.

For that performance, Cameron Allen was voted the CoalfieldSports.com Week 7 Defensive Player of the Week.

“I feel very honored because there are a lot of good players in this area,” said Allen. “To be awarded this is definitely an accomplishment.”

The G-Men raced out to a big first half lead against Lebanon and never looked back. Graham led 43-0 when the starters were awarded the rest of the night off.

“Lebanon has a young squad, so going in I was trying not to make mistakes and execute on both sides of the ball,” said Allen. “We knew they had a couple of dangerous athletes, so if we contained them we would be fine.”

Contain them, they did. The Graham defense was able to stifle Seth Stanley, who is one of the area’s most talented tailbacks. For Allen, he was able to record his second interception return touchdown of the season.

“Before the play I try to read the quarterbacks eyes to see where he wants to go,” said Allen. “On the interception I had, I took my read steps and got my eyes back on the receivers. I saw that he was running a slant, jumped the route, and was able to return it for a score.”

Led by Allen, Graham is off to another hot start. The G-Men are sitting at 5-1 with their only loss being to their cross-town rivals, the Bluefield Beavers. Allen said he used that loss as a learning experience for the rest of the season.

“I learned from the Bluefield loss that the team and I had a lot of improvements to make before we could see ourselves as a winning team that could have success in the playoffs.”

It looks like it’s safe to say the improvements have been made. The G-Men are on a five game winning streak since the opening loss. The senior signal caller has been one of the main reasons for that, as he has been putting up huge numbers all season. Allen currently has over 1,700 total yards and 21 touchdowns through Graham’s first six games.

“I give all credit to my teammates that push me everyday in practice,” said Allen. “And when it’s game time the offensive line opens up big holes for me to run through and the receivers make plays when I get them the ball.”

Photo: Diana Sandifer

Allen is used to having success on the field. Last season he was named first team all region quarterback & cornerback, and was named first-team all state defensive back. In the spring and summer, Allen continued his success on the field by attending many camps and combines while attracting the attention of many division 1 scouts. Allen won the “Ballhawk Award” as the top defensive back at the Adidas sponsored Rivals camp in Charlotte and was named overall MVP of the Appalachian Prep Combine. Allen used his breakout off-season to earn twelve division 1 scholarship offers. He is currently a three-star prospect and is ranked the 18th best player in the commonwealth of Virginia by Rivals.com

When seeing all he has acomplished, it’s easy to see why most agree that Cameron Allen is the best player in the CoalfieldSports.com coverage area.

“I’d like to thank everyone who thinks that,” said Allen. “The way my mentality is, I think there is no player above me. Some people might call that cocky but my stats, what I have done at camps around the country, and recruiting rankings have made me I feel like I deserve it.”

Another person who felt like Allen deserved it was Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm. The former professional quarterback extended a scholarship offer to Allen, which he accepted. Allen chose Purdue over UVA, ECU, Appalachian State, and others.

“Purdue’s coaching staff shows loyalty to me,” said the 6-foot 1, 185 pound athlete. “They have stayed in touch with me through the process and also just the environment of Big 10 conference football is a dream that I’ve always wanted to experience! Purdue is showing a lot of improvement in recruiting so I’m excited to get to West Lafayette, Indiana.”

Undoubtedly, Purdue will gain many new fans from the Bluefield area next fall. But for now, Graham fans are thankful to still have Allen on their team for at least the next five games. And hopefully more.

Allen & the G-Men travel to Bristol, VA tonight to take on the Virginia High Bearcats. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Gene Malcolm Stadium.