Taylor excels on the field and in the classroom
, Staff Writer
01-28-2009
Farmerville High School’s, Elton Taylor had a successful football season helping pave the way for the district 2-2A championship. Taylor’s skills, however, go beyond the football field.
Taylor has been selected for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Academic All-State Composite Offense Team after carrying a 4.0 grade point average.
“It’s an honor for me,” said Taylor, a starting guard on the football team. “Not only do you have to have good grades, you have to be good on the field.”
This is a high honor, not only for athletics but academics as well. To be nominated a player must have a minimum 3.0 GPA for his three previous years in high school and must be selected to the all-district first, all-district second or all-district honorable mention teams during his senior year.
“He made all state and first team all district last year,” Farmerville Coach Joe Spatafora said. “He was overlooked for first team this year but made second team.”
In Taylor’s fourth grade year at Farmerville Elementary School, he was placed in the Gifted Enrichment Program. For the next six years, he worked side-by-side with his teacher Pam Tackett.
“Ms. Tackett is my favorite teacher,” Taylor said. “I’ve spent so much time with her that I have to like her or I would have dropped out of the program a long time ago.”
Tackett couldn’t be more proud of her ‘extraordinary’ student.
“I feel truly privileged to have been able to watch Elton grow up,” Tackett said. “I thank his mom for letting me borrow him.”
When asked what makes Taylor so special, Tackett said. “He is aware of the fact that he is smart but he is very unassuming about it. He just doesn’t make big deal about it.
“He is so well rounded. He can do equally well on math, English, social studies and history. He is genuinely nice.”
Taylor’s area of academic expertise is history. Last year he completed advanced placement in U.S. History through Louisiana Virtual School.
“Learning how the past has affected today interests me,” Taylor said. “Seeing what people have done in the past helps me determine what I can do in the future.”
The future is bright for this young man. Last year Taylor scored a 31 on his ACT.
He plans to attend Louisiana Tech University and is contemplating a history major but is still unsure.
“Elton is in dual enrollment math right now,” Tackett said. “He will get college credits while he is high school.”
Taylor’s focus and determination in the classroom carries over to the football field.
“He is a tremendous player,” Spatafora said. “He is a hard worker and has great leadership qualities. I’m going to miss him next year.”
Taylor’s favorite game this season was a tie.
“I like the Sterlington game because it was a battle to the very end and we were biting our nails the whole time,” he said. “Oak Grove was a good game too, but after the half we knew we had it, not to sound cocky.”
If balancing sports and academics isn’t enough, Taylor is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Science Club. He is president of the National Honor Society.
He is a member of Franklin Street Baptist Church and has been employed at KFC/Taco Bell since it opened last fall.
In his spare time he likes to hang out with his friends and his girlfriend.
In addition to be selected for the composite team, Taylor was also selected to the Class 2A Academic All-State Team, along with teammates Parker Temple and Ian Orten.
“This is a great honor for Elton,” FHS Principal, Pam Schooler said. “We are all so proud of him. He is a wonderful student and athlete.”
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