Hairston Hopes To Guide Emory & Henry To Milestone Win At Randolph-Macon

BY ALLEN GREGORY
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
EMORY, Va. – James Hairston came to Emory & Henry four years ago with two goals – he wanted to grow as a person and athlete.
Missions accomplished.

In addition to being a four-year starter on the E&H offensive line, the 6-foot-1, 285-pound graduate of Martinsville High School has achieved near legendary status for his work in the weight room and earned the title of sports editor for the school newspaper, The Whitetopper.

“I had my mind set on attending Bridgewater, and then I talked to Coach [Don] Montgomery at Emory,” Hairston said. “Bridgewater was just coming off a conference title, but I just felt that Coach Montgomery could take me where I wanted to go in life.”

Hairston final goal is an ODAC title. The Wasps (4-1, 0-1) need a win today at defending conference champion Randolph-Macon (4-2, 2-0) to keep those hopes alive.

“It’s been eight years since Emory has won at Randolph-Macon,” Hairston said. “This game is always tough because it’s homecoming at Macon and they get up for us. We lost a close game there in my freshman year and we really want to end that streak.”

Despite ankle and quad injuries, Hairston has been a constant force. He prepared for his senior season by spending much of the summer in the weight room. Hairston’s bench press of 440 pounds is by far the best on the team.

“My coaches have shown me how to shed pounds without losing strength,” Hairston said. “I take just as much pride in my ability to move my feet as I do my strength. You can bench 800 pounds but it’s not going to help the team unless you can move.”

Hairston is among a group of seven senior leaders on the E&H line.

“We’re like a unit of brothers,” Hairston said. “We eat together, hang out and trust each other to get the job done.”

The job today will be to counter a hot R-MC team. Behind quarterback Austin Faulkner (1,018 yards passing) and receiver Earl Peoples, the Yellow Jackets have won four straight games. A junior from Hampton, Va., Peoples caught an ODAC record 20 passes in the Oct. 3 game against Washington & Lee.

R-MC and E&H have split their six meetings. The last road win in the series came in 2002, when the Yellow Jackets won 17-13 in Emory.

While Hairston is not permitted to write about the Wasps football team for The Whitetopper, he admits that a victory over Randolph-Macon would make for a great headline.

“We’ve improved as a team each of the past four years,” Hairston said. “I really appreciate the opportunites I’ve had to grow with this program.”

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