BOZEMAN — The way Van Shockley sees it, fully investing himself in the classroom pays off in more ways than just earning good grades.
The junior Bozeman High quarterback, a 4.0 student, applies himself as fully to his studies as he does to leading the Hawks' offense and he simply can't see himself giving less than 100% on the field or in class.
"I think it's very important because the way you do one thing is the way you do everything," said Shockley. "Applying yourself in school, it's something that you do and it probably helps applying yourself in football too."
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For Bozeman football coach Levi Wesche, Shockley's positive attitude and character were as big of factors in naming him QB1 this season as his abilities as a signal caller. This past week, Shockley scored the first touchdown of the game against Missoula Hellgate in the opening round of the Class AA playoffs en route to a 38-7 win to lift the Hawks into the quarterfinals.
"He's a quality human being and a great leader and a leader by example more than anything else," said Wesche. "I've been extremely pleased with how he's played this year."
"He's a really good student and also a really good athlete," said Bozeman principal Dan Mills. "He's fun to watch on the field but I know his teachers would say he's pretty fun to watch in the classroom as well."
Shockley, who spends his summers playing baseball for the Bozeman Bucks, is still deciding what he wants to do after high school but said he'd like to play either college football or baseball. In the meantime, he'll keep working to gain as much knowledge as he can, whether it's from a playbook or calculus book.
"I really like learning and the challenge everyday because you're getting something new," said Shockley. "I like working and getting something right."
