Anyone who saw a MHS basketball game anytime between 2002-2006 most likely witnessed one of the most entertaining personalities ever to grace the Midway hardwood. Jason DeVries is a 2006 graduate of Midway and when he was on the court, he was hard to miss. Whether it was the knee-high socks with the matching wristbands or the unprecedented defensive hustle, DeVries got your attention. We asked Jason in a basketball interview last year about the socks, and Jason commented “I was looking for a unique style to call my own. Being a Larry Bird fan, I watched an old 80s Celtic game on ESPN Classic. I saw the socks they were wearing and I knew that was what I needed to get.” It was this “style” that helped make DeVries an entertainer on the court for the Green Wave.
And now that he’s in college, DeVries has continued to be an entertainer and performer. DeVries is in his 2nd semester at Mars Hill College and in his first semester there, Jason became a member of the cheer leading squad.
We contacted Jason during winter break for an exclusive SORSN interview.
SORSN: Jason, the first thing we want to know about are the socks…..do you wear the infamous “Celtic” socks under your cheering uniform?
Jason: Nope, I do not wear the Celtic socks while cheering, but I have worn them to cheerleading practice. I usually wear a pair of “Hardwood Classics” NBA brand socks (available at Champs, and other fine mall sport store retailers). They are actually ankle socks with a blue and red stripe. I believe I will start wearing the Celtic socks, since you mentioned this. But you forgot about the WRISTBANDS! (Important part of any sporting attire) I wear blue/yellow/white wristbands since I started the basketball portion of cheering.
SORSN: Since moving off to college, it appears you wasted no time in hoisting girls in short skirts up on your shoulder. How good is life at Mars Hill?
Jason: It’s really nice. I have actively been recruiting to try to make it SOR North Carolina. I love it. The campus is very pretty, with grounds crews working on flower beds, even in the winter. I like the teachers and classes, they’re very nice. Since we have small class sizes and only around 1000 students, the teachers know you and you know most of your class mates. I have a private dorm room, which means a room to myself. I’ve decorated it in sports stuff (posters, pennants, etc. of college, nfl, mlb, nba, nhl, a lot of vintage sports stuff). Along with that is beer stuff, (a lot of the sports stuff is made by beer companies) I have a big Coors bar sign in my room also. Fish tank, recliner, love seat. XBOX 360, PS2, Super Nintendo, Sega genesis, TV, record player, cassette, CD player all on a sound system. My room is awesome. Long story short: good school, good friends, nice room (and even the foods not that bad!)
SORSN: Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, record player, cassette player??? You live at a pawn shop between classes? The Antique Road Show is one of your favorite programs right?
SORSN: What are you majoring in at Mars Hill College and more importantly, where is Mars Hill College? Besides girls in short skirts, what led you to Mars Hill?
Jason: I am actually getting a double major. Both are in Physical Education. One is a PE teaching degree and the other is a degree in coaching. Yes you can get a degree in coaching! I was told if you were to only to have a coaching degree, you can use that to latch onto a college coaching job in some lower level staff position. I’m not interested in that… I want to be a High School teacher and coach, and then I may move onto the college level.
SORSN: Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. I guess you’ve got Coach Cawood and Coach Ruffner looking over their shoulder.
Jason: Mars Hill is located in North Carolina. It is 15 minutes from Asheville. It is 30 miles from the TN/NC border. The county the school is in touches Cocke Co. It is 45 miles from Newport, and I think it was 60 something miles to Cosby, when I went to the football game. Then I believe its 140 miles from exit 352.
Well I kept getting stuff from them in the mail. So I liked the fact they were interested in me or my money, either way, they wanted me to come. So I applied, not really thinking that was where I was going to go. But through my senior year, by Jan/Feb I knew it was time to move on and go somewhere new.
See, I could easily spend my whole life in Roane Co. and be happy, but I need to see what is beyond Roane Co. This is a once in a life time opportunity, and I need to take advantage of it. Another thing I like is that it is close to home, but not to close. I had to make all new friends, and just everything was new. It’s been really fun so far. Cheerleading was something I got into until about a few weeks into school. One day, I was just talking to the cheerleaders, and I casually asked, “what does it take to be a male cheerleader.” They then said you want to cheer? I was like sure, ok? I really had no intentions, it just kind of all fell into place.
So, here I am today a cheerleader, I really like it. It’s a lot different then the sports I have played. I’ve played all three sports at Midway (don’t forget I played football my freshmen year). But, cheerleading is unique. If you make a mistake in baseball or basketball you might be taken out of the game. But usually one mistake is not the difference in winning and losing. But in cheerleading, one little mistake could injury someone very badly. Only football is something that is close to that danger. If you drop a girl or she falls in a stunt, there is nothing she can do. If she doesn’t get caught, she’s most likely going to get hurt. It’s kind of scary in a way.
SORSN: Yes, but we all know they’re in good hands with DeVries, eh?
SORSN: I’m sure you’ve heard that the basketball team is struggling this year, any advice? What about any college advice for up & coming MHS graduates?
Jason: I have witnessed it first hand. I have been to nearly every game. During winter break, I have been to every practice and game. I have been doing various things in helping Coach Ruffner. I sit on the bench during games, and I was one of the main people in charge (obviously below Coach Ruffner, Coach Cawood, etc. but I was in control of a lot of stuff) at this years Christmas Classic.
As far as the teams struggles… they are very, very young. There are only 3 upperclassmen. It isn’t uncommon to see 2 or 3 freshmen starters along with a lot of younger guys coming off the bench. They are showing signs of improvement. The team is kind of like my sophomore year which featured only 3 upperclassmen also. In other words, this team will be very good in the next coming years. We have a very tough district: Cosby, Harriman, and Rockwood. Grace is undefeated (I believe 15-0). Knox. Christian was added in this year and has very good ball players. Greenback is better this year. Luckily TSD is rebuilding too, after it lost its best player (and one the better players in the district of the last 2-3 years)
As far as advice…keep battling, don’t give up, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
For the Seniors, I am glad they had a chance to shine in some of the spotlight of last season and I really believe that they can make a run late in the playoffs. Because no matter what happens during the regular season, you only need to win the first district playoff game and you’re in the Regions. Win the first two Region games, you’re in the sub state. Win that, you’re in the State Tourney. So if you can play 4 games the best you’ve ever played, you can make it to the State-tourney, even if your record is 4 – whatever.
College advice all I can say is find a school that best fits you. Don’t be afraid to leave home and go somewhere new. And college is not as hard as it sounds.
SORSN: What colors do you think look best on you….Green & White or Blue & Yellow?
Jason: Well don’t I look good in any color?
I’d trade a Blue & Yellow MHC cheerleading outfit any day to get back in a Green & White MHS basketball/baseball uniform.
SORSN: Considering the answer I got from you last time I will probably regret asking you this but here goes nothing…..what is your pre-game ritual now as a cheer leader?
Jason: LOL, well usually it’s waking up from a nap or getting up out from bed like 30 minutes before I have to be there. I drink some type of coke (usually Vault) and jump in the shower (both of these wake me up). I then get dressed. I wear: a cup (yes, a cup, you can easily get hit there while lifting girls or catching them in stunts), black Under Armour compression shorts. White Under Armour top then cheerleading uniform. We wear pants and a short sleeve top (same fabric as the white baseball uniforms we used freshmen-junior year). Then my wristbands and shoes. Then I grab my cheerleading bag, keys, and student ID, and hustle to where I have to meet which is usually a minute or two before I need to be there. Then in pre-game we go over the stunts were going to do.
SORSN:Wasn’t quite as detailed as the last time that I asked you this and both I and our visitors thank you for that.
SORSN: As a recent graduate, other than watching Christmas Vacation with Coach Ruffner, what do you miss most about the Midway, the heart of SOR?
Jason: I miss it all. But before I talk about all that, I need to state something. After graduating it’s really weird. I was in the gym after the recent game against Harriman, the lights were out like the gym is any night you come home from an away game. Then it hit me. I thought to myself, “This is not my gym”. Obviously I have never owned the gym, but while I played for four years my name was in the gym, and I always felt it was my gym. It’s not anymore, it’s a sad feeling.
Obviously I miss playing basketball and baseball. I miss going to the football games and hanging with my friends. I miss helping out with the Jr High football team. I miss giving Coach Hayes hugs in school everyday. I miss the teachers. I miss talking to Mrs. Lane. I miss the Midway Maniacs. I miss figuring out ways to get out of my morning first block tardys (which I got really good at). The funny crap we did in school. The guys and me (we had a good group of people who always hung out). We would make everyday funny by doing some funny stunt, no matter if it was on a small or large scale. Sitting in the same section of gym bleachers during school, and hanging out at the same wall (left wall where you first walk in school, the only one with the Midway HS 1997 plaque on it). Its winning the TSSAA A.F. Bridges Award (05-06 State Champs) which is also an inside joke with Coach Ruffner. Being one of the last students to leave school everyday and going to school in the summer and winter breaks for basketball. It’s the SOR, it’s a unique place, a great place, can’t lie, I miss it all.
SORSN:Ok, you lost me after “giving Coach Hayes hugs”.