Back in July, senior Zac Kerxton was fresh off a visit to Track Nationals and just weeks away from football practice. While most students might be relaxing, the 2014 All-State wide receiver at Battlefield High School was hustling, but in his own driveway.
After power washing his car, an idea came to mind: Why not try to make a buck or two? He offered a deal to his 700 twitter followers of a $10 car wash. Luckily for Kerxton, his football career is off to a much better start than his car washing business.
Nobody bit at the offer that day, but Kerxton exudes this mentality on a daily basis. The 6 foot, 180 lb. receiver is constantly looking to get a step ahead and perhaps do what others won’t in order to achieve a goal. When it comes to the team, all Bobcats are pushing one another to be better than the previous day.
“Everyone pushes each other during practice,” Kerxton said.. “That’s a big factor to some of our success. Everyone is trying to make everyone else better. It’s not really a focus on one individual, it’s more of a team thing this year.”
Battlefield (6-2) is under the new regime of head coach Jared Van Acker. The Bobcats went 85-34 over 11 seasons under Mark Cox, including a Virginia AAA state championship in 2010.
Van Acker has brought a new spread system into Battlefield, while maintaining the former power formations Cox utilized. As a playmaker with speed on the edge, Kerxton has taken advantage of the change but admits the team is still adjusting.
“He came in and he changed a lot of things,” Kerxton said. “At the beginning it was a little hard trying to comprehend everything and learn how he does things. I think overall it’s been a pretty good learning experience just learning to adapt and get better.”
Last season, Zac Kerxton caught passes from Matt Galagher. He was a lock as the starting quarterback and is now attending Elon as a preferred walk-on. This season? Well, the starting quarterback position is up in the air.
Each week, Alex Gutierrez and Lane Bryson may see any number of snaps behind center. Both are seniors and both have patiently waited their turn to sit at the helm of that football team. It’s not clear if either currently has an edge with just two weeks left in the regular season.
Gutierrez and Kerxton grew up together playing the sport they love since the age of seven. Kerxton admits the two have a connection that is tough for any tandem to mirror, but says both quarterbacks are able to get the job done.
“They’re really good,” he says simply. “We haven’t really found the true starter yet and it’s getting a little late but I think by the time we need it, it’s going to be there.”
Kerxton is known as the big-play guy over at Battlefield. His quickest unofficial 40-yard dash is 4.53. To put that into perspective: Pittsburgh Steelers running back, and maybe the most complete back in the NFL, ran a 4.6 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Kerxton’s speed is elite, especially at the high school level.
Next year, Kerxton will take his talents to Pennsylvania and play for the Division I-AA Villanova Wildcats. In the Colonial Athletic Conference he’ll compete against former teammates in Gallagher and Corey Parker, whom he ran with in the 4X100 meter relay last year.
For now, Kerxton has his eyes set on finishing the season strong and making a push deep into the Conference 8 playoffs. The Bobcats are enjoying a bye week before hosting Stonewall Jackson (0-8) next Friday.
Catch all the episodes of Sports Mike right here!
Mike Ploger has spent the entirety of his life in Northern Virginia, with the exception of earning his Broadcast Journalism Degree from West Virginia University. He eats, breathes, and sleeps sports in the area unless he’s out riding his unicycle or playing a round of disc golf.
Support Bristow Beat - Donate Today!