THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Van Buren High School Athletics

Van Buren defensive end Owen Lee sprinted to the other side of the field to help make a play Friday. After Travis Holman and Grant King began the tackle on Alma quarterback Joe Trusty, Lee cleaned it up and kept Alma from making progress on a third down. "He shouldn't have been on that play," Van Buren coach Crosby Tuck said. "He was on the other side, and there wasn't a reason for him to be there. I thought he didn't have a chance to make it, but there he was. It was a big stop on a third down, and that's the kind of energy he brings to this team." "I don't know where the energy comes from. It's just there. It's just me," Lee said. "Maybe it's because love putting in the extra work and time into the game to help my teammates. They're my family." Van Buren's Owen Lee (4) comes running from the other side of the field to help Travis Holman (13) and Grant King (35) bring down Alma quarterback Joe Trusty (8) during the first half on Sept. 3, 2021 at Citizens Bank Stadium at Blakemore Field. The Pointers won their home opener as they defeated Crawford County rival Alma 31-20. Van Buren is off to another 2-0 start and will be back home next week to host Rogers Heritage in the final non-conference game of the season. "We have a lot more to work on this next week than we did after our game against Springdale," Tuck said. "But we're a young team, and to play with this much energy and emotion in a rivalry game and come out with a win, I'm really proud of these guys." Last week, Lee was the defensive player of the game against Springdale. "This is just big," Lee said, bouncing around a little. It was Van Buren's fourth consecutive win against Alma. "This was a big game, and these are my family. We had some huge plays, and we will have some work to do. We did give up some big plays, but it was amazing how we came back and refocused on what we needed to do." "Lee absolutely worked his butt off this summer and had a great offseason," Tuck said. "He has a true work ethic and is the kind of guy who is going to help us in a big way this season." Lee came from Florida his seventh-grade year, and at a church Fourth of July event, he was spotted by coach Drew Deffenbaugh. Lee's original sport was lacrosse, and he wanted to find something he could participate in while in school. "He was just a big athletic kid, and I knew we needed him on the team at Northridge," Deffenbaugh said. "He was so big it took us forever to find a helmet big enough for him. He's just a very coachable kid and willing to do what we ask of him and has a great attitude about it."

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Van Buren High School Athletics

OWEN LEE BRINGS ENERGY TO VB FOOTBALL

GEORGE MITCHELL

SW Times | 9/5/2021