Cheney Finds Role Reversal on the Basketball Court

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports 

(December 12, 2021 8:00 AM) On the football field this fall Vandercook Lake High School athlete Andrew Cheney had the football in his hand just about every play.

It came with being the quarterback.

This winter, the senior is being told not to shoot the basketball … play defense.

It is a role reversal the VCL basketball player takes with a grain of salt.

The four-sport athlete at VCL can see the end of his high school career.

“I tell kids that you will never get it back,” Cheney said of playing high school sports for four years. “I have made a lot of friends along the way.

“You just talk to everyone and have fun.”

Cheney said the Jayhawks had a lot of fun on the football field despite only winning three games. They had a number of crazy games in the new 8-man football format.

“The coaches loved every one of us on the team and made it a lot of fun,” Cheney said. 

The Jayhawks averaged nearly 35 points per game in the seven contested games, including 72 points against Concord. 

Cheney threw for nearly 200 yards and five touchdowns for the Jayhawks in the win against the Yellow Jackets.

But the winter brings a different sport with a brighter outlook. The Jayhawks started the season with three consecutive wins on three consecutive nights. The team has a number of first-year players who have meshed with the team.

“Every time I get into the game, they tell me I’m in there for defense and don’t shoot the ball,” Cheney said. “It is just fun to get blocks and steal the basketball.”

Cheney is often a starter for the Jayhawks who feature a number of players who like to fast break. 

“We know one another from hanging out and playing football,” Cheney said. “We have fun and play like a family.

“There was a bond built on the football field.”

That was noticeable when Cheney actually scored in a game on Saturday against Stockbridge. His teammates gave him a standing ovation for making a free throw. The bench erupted when he rebounded an errant shot and put it back into the basket. 

Cheney expects the Jayhawks to be contenders for the Cascades Conference title and to make a deep move in the playoffs.

He plans to play baseball and run track in the spring. 

Unlike a number of student-athletes, he realizes the fun and games sports are almost over.

“I would like to go to trade school and become an electrician or work in construction,” Cheney said. “I have learned a lot from playing in sports.

“When you get knocked down, you have to get back up and keep competing.”