Getting acquainted with gods_littleboy

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Around April of last year when Covid was starting to change all of our lives and many activities came to a halt to include schooling, I held court at McCullough Junior High School giving lacrosse sessions. MANY sessions because parents were looking for activities for their kids to get involved in. For the first three weeks school had been shut down, we had the fields all to ourselves. The place was a ghost-school.

All of a sudden, I started getting invaded by football people. I assumed the coach was either a college or pro position coach. Every day, he was training the same kid that l just figured was a high school senior quarterback getting ready for his first year of college football. Our training was about 50-75 yards from theirs so the only thing I saw was a 6'4' (I think) 195 or so pound QB with an arm that would make Aaron Rodgers feel like he has to go back to the drawing board. The kid was a physical specimen. There was the coach, the QB and 2-3 wide-outs running routes for two hours plus. AND...on most days they came back in the afternoon. Yes, they were social distancing. With an arm like this kid's, they really had no choice!

One day, I finally walked over to where some people were watching and asked a young man I recognized from the high school football sideline when I covered football. It was McKade Mettauer who currently plays for the Cal-Bears. I asked what all the hubbub was about. 'That's my brother Mabrey getting some QB training.' The first words out of my mouth were...'You have a brother that looks like that?' HaHa, McKade has a good sense of humor. He added that his brother is in the eighth grade. I responded, EIGHTH EFFING GRADE?!?! Yeah, I said it. I'm a Jesus guy, too... so, at that moment I proved I was fallible and quite capable of being a sinner. I apologized and he then gave me the rundown.

Ever since that day about 19 months ago, I've learned a bit more about Mabrey and just how great of a person he is. Starting last year, I'd Instagram message him after games and ask how he played. His reply was about the team only...the score and how the team looked and how he likes his coaches and teammates and all involved. He bragged about the trainers on occasion. I almost had to pry out of him how he played. When I would finally get the information from someone else, they'd give me Mabrey's numbers and they were always good. Usually, if a kid had a good game, he'd say so first because he's so excited. Not this dude! What a total team-oriented athlete. That's testament to many things such as his parents, his coaches, his Pastor at church, etc...

You'll notice Mabrey's Instagram ID in the title, gods_littleboy. When I first saw that, I remember thinking how this kid might be being a tad presumptuous. Does he really think he's that special? I was so far off because it was right in front of my face. It's Mabrey's way of telling us we are all God's children. He's like...Let me tell you about my Jesus!!

Well, enough of my blithering drivel, let's just get more acquainted with Mabrey Mettauer...

When did you start playing football and why did football win out over other sports?
I am from a very sports-oriented family. My grandfather and uncles played football at Texas A&M. I don’t remember a time in my life without football. I grew up playing every sport there was: football, basketball, soccer, and baseball. I saw my brother take the football route and I decided that would probably be the best for me. I still love and play football and basketball. I started playing football in the second grade and was a running back my first year at SCFL (South County Football League) then played offensive line and linebacker up until eighth grade. I had a bit more meat on me back then (laughs). My dream has always been to be a quarterback, but I was too heavy to touch the ball early on. In 7th grade my basketball coach (Coach Lily) saw me playing on the court and noticed my feet. This is what began my QB journey! So, for the first time I played quarterback in eighth grade. I was bigger than most kids so I ran the ball almost every time and had great success. When Covid hit towards the end of eighth grade, I was able to grow my game with all the free time I had.

Tell us about The Woodlands High School football team:
The 2021 Woodlands High School football team is just a big band of brothers. We fight and compete for each other and make each other better. It all began earlier this year before spring football. The coaches were different in that they were more encouraging. The players were also different in that they were more committed. It was truly about team building, holding each other accountable on the field AND in the weight room. Although our spring game was cancelled, we were super excited about the coming season.

The summer workouts continued with the same attitude. I threw with Ben Ferguson. Camden Cash , Patrick Rabel and Bryce Cooper almost every day. We were committed to being great! During and after each practice, I knew we had something special here. Our friendships grew deeper the more we worked together!

Ben proved himself to definitely be the leader I thought he would be. I really look up to Ben for his work ethic and perseverance. Camden Cash improved his speed and became the best route runner through tireless work in prepping for the season. Patrick Rabel never turned down a throw session and as a result became great with his hands! We would go to the fields on very hot summer days and run into Ethan Winfield and his gang sweating it out, too! Hard work was evident in all of my teammates. We were working to perfect our own crafts while getting ready to perform as a unit.

I have been blessed to play on a team with both my cousins, Titan & Cross Tucker. This year's offensive line is a dream for a QB with great athleticism to go along with an average weight of 305 pounds. I couldn’t do anything without them protecting me. Cross Tucker, the Sieracki Brothers (Kaden and Koltin), Jaylen Smith, Sebastian Duarte makes up a strong foundation, each one with a role to act as one and execute. Jaboree Reed is proving to be the heart of our team taking on and shedding tacklers considerably larger than him and just fighting to get into the open field where no one can catch him. Then there’s the shifty J-Will's (Jason Williams) feet, who is a third down conversion machine. Martell Harris is special, big, and fast. Texas A&M has done their homework. Bradley Warren is a beast! Someone needs to pick Bradley up... like right now! The psycho up-and-comer is Clement Harris - watch out for him! Pondant, Podowski, Dipasquale, Efayani, and Dubin...they are the heart of the Defense. Ethan Winfield, Cooper Starcke and Caden Miller have proven that you can’t push us around in the air or on the ground! I hope I didn’t forget anyone because no matter if a player plays one down or plays the whole game, each player is just as important as the next player. We are all experiencing how playing a sport brings greatness and unity!! We are all ONE team and we have proven it in our tough pre-season schedule and the regular season games we've played so far. WE WILL COMPETE & FIGHT TOGETHER!

Talk about The Woodlands High School:
I love TWHS. It’s such a family environment here. I'm the youngest of six cousins that have all gone to The Woodlands High School....So...naturally, I’m very comfortable in this environment.

Do you have any idea which college you'd like to go to?
I’m looking at all the colleges that have offered me so far... LSU, Florida, Texas Tech, LMU, Kansas State, Georgia Tech and Miami. It’s early so I have some time to see what the best fit will be for me. I hope to study business.

What would you like to be doing after college?
I hope to be playing in the NFL after college. If that dream doesn't happen, then I'll be putting my business degree to good use.

What do you like doing when you aren't playing sports?
I enjoy hanging with my family and friends. Also, I have very strong faith and I spend a lot of time in church activities. I attend The Loft which is affiliated with the Woodlands Methodist Church.

Who is your football role model?
My brother (McKade) is my role model. He has showed me by example what it takes to get where I want to be.

Describe the support you get from your family in all that you do in life:
I wouldn’t be anywhere I am today without my family’s support. My dad is a surgeon so he is obviously book smart. He is a great example for me and stresses how hard I need to work in the classroom. With my grandpa having played wide-receiver at Texas A&M and my uncles and brother being college and NFL athletes, I always knew it was in my genes to take football to higher next levels.

If you were given a million dollars and had to give it to one charity, which charity would be the happy recipient?
I would give it all to the Ronald McDonald house. On that note, my brother and I are trying to raise $50,000 to help build a new playground that is handicap accessible for all the families living at the home while their children are being treated for serious illnesses in the Houston Medical Center. The RMH is a home where families can stay free for extended periods of time. It’s a gift to families that are away from their homes and work. If anyone is interested in donating, please get the link from my Instagram bio. Every dollar helps!

Three things people don't know about you:

• Jesus is my savior.

• I can make a knot out of a cherry stem with my tongue.

• Sushi is my favorite food.

When is the last time you danced? You any good?
The last time I danced was at a fraternity party on an unofficial visit with my brother in California. I guess I could be considered a decent dancer. Haha... the jury is out.

Your favorite song right now?
Space time. Trippie Red is my favorite group.

Favorite movie of all time?
Step Brothers.

If you were sentenced to death and you could go on one last date. Who would it be with?
My dream date would be with Margot Robbie. She’s hot!

Anyone who follows area high school football knows how gifted a quarterback Mabrey is. We could go on and on about his abilities on the gridiron, but this profile is all about Mabrey as a person. Incidentally, we wouldn't be writing about him if he was just great at football. It's what is inside of an athlete that is most important. Does he have passion for others? That's a resounding yes!!! Mabrey is always looking out for others and goes out of his way for people if he sees they may be having a bad day. He doesn't get involved with people who make fun of others.

His words: 'Mr. Sarant, I know I'm young but us young people face challenges every day. We laugh...we cry...we get our feelings hurt...all of us face battles. Sure, some more than others but I try not to pass judgment on people because I don't know what they've been through. Why take that chance and make someone feel worse than they already do?'

At this point, you're finding out how good of a person Mabrey is. If not, check out these quotes from leaders in the community...

'Mabrey Mettauer leads on and off the field. Mabrey is one of the most grateful high school students I know of. He is always quick to say “thank you” and appreciates the support he gets from his family and friends. More than that, Mabrey is a strong believer in Jesus who invites the strength of God into his day-to-day life at home, school and on the field. As we continue to see Mabrey develop as a quarterback on the field, I am absolutely positive he will continue to develop as a strong student leader in our community.'

Mark Swayze
Pastor of Students at The Woodlands Methodist Church

'Two words to describe Mabrey are Relentless Effort. You won’t meet many kids who in Junior High would that wake up to be at the facility with their older brother at 5am to train. We’ve always discussed that attitude and effort will determine the type of person/athlete you will be. He cares about his community and others more than he does about sports. Values instilled in him by mom, dad, and grandparents.
He’s pretty darn good at sports, so you can bet he works just as hard at philanthropy.'

Francisco Marentez
Owner: Iron Will Training Systems (Cisco)

Mabrey is a dedicated athlete and recognizes that God has blessed him with many opportunities and an incredible talent at such a young age. From what I’ve noticed, he is always honoring the lord in every aspect of the game, and that strong faith will bring him a lot of success within his life.'

Lizzy Prather
TWHS Student Body President

With Mabrey being a sophomore, we have plenty of time to enjoy his journey. Maybe we can take what he has to say and apply it to our lives and be there for each other at all times...not just when it is convenient.

Young people can teach us so much.

Thank you, Mabrey!

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