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FEATURED ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Haiden Davis, Cloverdale
Haiden Davis is a senior baseball and football player at Cloverdale.
Banner Graphic: You are planning to pursue a career in the military after graduation. What got you interested in it?
Haiden Davis: “Sgt. Gonzalez was the recruiter for around here at the time, and I saw his table at lunch and thought I’d go and talk to him. It seemed interesting, and one of my good friends [Zeb Holder] had just come back from basic training and he was telling me about it. I’m in the Army Reserve, and right now I’m an 89 Bravo, which is an ammunition specialist. I get the ammunition out to the other soldiers. I’d like to get deployed at least one time like that. I think I do my part when I’m in the States, but I can do even more a part of my job if I was actually overseas helping the ones who need it. I’m thinking about going ranger.”
BG: Describe what boot camp was like for you last summer.
HD: “It was long, and it was really hot in Oklahoma. It wasn’t like regular heat; some days it was like super humid. You just learn to sweat a lot. It was worth it, though. I take a lot of pride in my accomplishments, and I’m proud of what I have done so far.
BG: You came into football practice late. How well prepared were you for that physically?
HD: “I had a week before our first game, and as soon as I landed and got off the plane I called Coach Winders and asked him how I could start in the first game. He said we’d start practice right then. I got in some practice clothes and started that day. I was in better shape than the guys who had been here the whole camp. When they were really winded after running, I wasn’t as winded and I was able to recuperate a lot faster.”
BG: How did your army training help you in football season?
HD: “I played with a lot more heart, and I took more pride in what I did. Halfway through the season, our center was ejected from a game. Since I was the long snapper, they decided to put me there. I had never played center before. You just learn to take pride in every job you do. It was different playing center, and it went well. You have to be quicker off the ball.”
BG: How did football go for you this year?
HD: “I like the team atmosphere. ‘I am my brother’s keeper’ is the mentality. You are more than teammates, you are family. The military is just like that. I love competitive things. I am very competitive, and it doesn’t matter what I’m doing I want to win. We had a lot of losses in the past, and this year it was an uprising of the team. We had switched coaches a lot and tried to throw together a football team. This year it seemed more organized, and we had great sponsors to help with our online funding. This town is amazing. You see the same faces in those stands every game, home and away. Our fans do a great job of supporting us.”
BG: What is your eventual career goal?
HD: “There are Army Reserves, active duty and National Guard. Once you enlist, you can pick which one is your component. I chose Reserves because it was easier for me to get through school and start my career earlier.”
BG: What is your greatest fear?
HD: “Spiders. I have never been bitten by one, but I just don’t like the thought of them.”
BG: What are your favorite and least favorite foods?
HD: “My favorite is Chinese food. I really like Panda Express. My least favorite would be sushi.”
BG: If you could describe your personality in one word, what would that word be?
HD: “Confident. Even if I’m right or wrong, I’m always confident in my answer. The military taught me that.
BG: What are thing you like to do when you’re not at school or playing sports?
HD: “I like hanging out with my friends and family. I hunt and fish a lot. Hunting and fishing are my No. 1 hobbies. I like to listen to rap and R&B. My favorite movie is ‘Miracle at St. Anna’s’. It’s a World War II movie. I like ‘Saving Private Ryan’ also. I don’t watch TV all that much.”
BG: Summarize your whole Cloverdale career.
HD: “Cloverdale has been great. It is really nice growing up in a small town like this. Everybody knows everybody. If you need help from someone, you know them on a personal level. Everyone is nice, and the school is really good. Some people say it’s not good because it’s a small school, but I like that about it.”
BG: Do you have any goals for the rest of the year?
HD: “I’d like to win a few more games in baseball and get our numbers up a little bit. And, of course, to graduate. Next summer I’ll be going to AIT, which is like our job training where I’ll further learn my job.”