44INAROW
01-19-2017, 04:09 PM
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2017/jan/18/perseverance-pays-off-for-cuero-lineman/
CUERO - Haden Haas watched on TV as Clemson defeated Alabama to win the national championship.
Haas could get the chance to play against the Tigers in Death Valley next season.
The Cuero senior has committed to play football at The Citadel, and the Bulldogs' final regular-season game is at Clemson.
"They have nice facilities and they play some bigger teams," Haas said of the Bulldogs, who won the Southern Conference championship and advanced to the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs before finishing with a 10-2 record. "They are going in the right direction. They're getting better and better every year."
Haas' commitment to play at The Citadel ended what had been a sometimes frustrating recruiting process.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Haas was a two-time all-state offensive lineman for Cuero, but had only attracted the attention of Division III schools before The Citadel came into the picture.
"I kept my nose down and kept working," Haas said. "I worried about our season first and just kept waiting and trusting God. I knew he had something in mind."
The Citadel got its first glimpse of Haas when assistant coach J.P. Gunter watched him at a camp in Houston last summer.
Gunter followed Haas during his senior season in which he graded out at 98 percent with 151 knockdown blocks and 63 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack while helping the Gobblers advance to the Class 4A, Division II quarterfinals.
The Citadel extended a full scholarship offer earlier this month.
"I think the first thing that catches your eye about Haden is just how physical he is," said Cuero coach Travis Reeve. "He just mashes people off the ball. With them being a run-oriented (option) offense, he was intriguing to them.
"The other thing was his versatility. He started as a center as a sophomore and played left tackle the last two years and had to go back to center the third round of the playoffs at the end of the week. Guys like that are rare. To have someone like that on your roster who can fill more than one spot makes him very valuable."
Haas got on an airplane for the first time in his life last weekend and visited the school in Charleston, South Carolina.
He was impressed with the campus and small-class size and wasn't troubled about being so far from home or The Citadel being a military school.
Haas will wear a uniform and get his hair closely cropped as a freshman, but will have no military commitment after he graduates.
"I had some questions," Haas admitted. "Once, I started asking around, I found out it's not that bad. I was just worried because it was a military school that you would have no outside life, but it wasn't like that."
Reeve, who is Haas' uncle, believes his nephew made a good decision and will take advantage of a unique opportunity.
"The overall experience of getting to play Division I football is an experience that not many kids get a chance to do," Reeve said. "The quality of education and the support he's going to get while he's there is second to none. Being able to go to school in a place like Charleston, South Carolina, and having new experiences and to get to be able to see a different part of the world for a few years is a fun thing. I think he's a mature kid who is going to be real successful."
The Citadel lost a number of linemen, and Haas should have the chance to play as a true freshman.
Haas, who will turn 18 in March, is looking forward to making the hard work of the last four years pay off when he signs his letter of intent Feb. 1, national signing day.
"You just have to do what you feel is the right thing and keep working hard every day," he said, "and it will come."
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com.
CUERO - Haden Haas watched on TV as Clemson defeated Alabama to win the national championship.
Haas could get the chance to play against the Tigers in Death Valley next season.
The Cuero senior has committed to play football at The Citadel, and the Bulldogs' final regular-season game is at Clemson.
"They have nice facilities and they play some bigger teams," Haas said of the Bulldogs, who won the Southern Conference championship and advanced to the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs before finishing with a 10-2 record. "They are going in the right direction. They're getting better and better every year."
Haas' commitment to play at The Citadel ended what had been a sometimes frustrating recruiting process.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Haas was a two-time all-state offensive lineman for Cuero, but had only attracted the attention of Division III schools before The Citadel came into the picture.
"I kept my nose down and kept working," Haas said. "I worried about our season first and just kept waiting and trusting God. I knew he had something in mind."
The Citadel got its first glimpse of Haas when assistant coach J.P. Gunter watched him at a camp in Houston last summer.
Gunter followed Haas during his senior season in which he graded out at 98 percent with 151 knockdown blocks and 63 pancake blocks and did not allow a sack while helping the Gobblers advance to the Class 4A, Division II quarterfinals.
The Citadel extended a full scholarship offer earlier this month.
"I think the first thing that catches your eye about Haden is just how physical he is," said Cuero coach Travis Reeve. "He just mashes people off the ball. With them being a run-oriented (option) offense, he was intriguing to them.
"The other thing was his versatility. He started as a center as a sophomore and played left tackle the last two years and had to go back to center the third round of the playoffs at the end of the week. Guys like that are rare. To have someone like that on your roster who can fill more than one spot makes him very valuable."
Haas got on an airplane for the first time in his life last weekend and visited the school in Charleston, South Carolina.
He was impressed with the campus and small-class size and wasn't troubled about being so far from home or The Citadel being a military school.
Haas will wear a uniform and get his hair closely cropped as a freshman, but will have no military commitment after he graduates.
"I had some questions," Haas admitted. "Once, I started asking around, I found out it's not that bad. I was just worried because it was a military school that you would have no outside life, but it wasn't like that."
Reeve, who is Haas' uncle, believes his nephew made a good decision and will take advantage of a unique opportunity.
"The overall experience of getting to play Division I football is an experience that not many kids get a chance to do," Reeve said. "The quality of education and the support he's going to get while he's there is second to none. Being able to go to school in a place like Charleston, South Carolina, and having new experiences and to get to be able to see a different part of the world for a few years is a fun thing. I think he's a mature kid who is going to be real successful."
The Citadel lost a number of linemen, and Haas should have the chance to play as a true freshman.
Haas, who will turn 18 in March, is looking forward to making the hard work of the last four years pay off when he signs his letter of intent Feb. 1, national signing day.
"You just have to do what you feel is the right thing and keep working hard every day," he said, "and it will come."
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com.