Blue Ridge senior quarterback Gavin Forrester is currently on pace for one of the most prolific seasons in Tiger history at the position.
Through just seven games, Forrester has already accounted for 1,040 passing yards, 525 rushing yards, and 19 total touchdowns.
With 1,565 total yards for the season, Forrester’s preseason goal is well within reach.
“I hope that by the end of the year, I've got 1000-1000. At least a thousand passing yards and a thousand rushing yards.” Forrester told GreerNews.com before the year. “That’s what I’m aiming for.”
With a 4-3 record, Forrester has already helped his Tigers match their win total from 2024.
His dual-threat ability is a massive part of that success.
“I think as a sophomore, we didn’t run him much, but we did run him some,” said Blue Ridge head coach John Boggs. “You really started to see his running ability develop last year as a junior. That’s when we started to realize this kid was special with his legs.”
“I had never really run the ball much, not until I got to JV,” said Forrester. “Once they started letting me take off and run in JV, that’s when I knew I was really able to go both ways on the field.”
Forrester’s sophomore and junior seasons were both cut short due to injury. He broke his collarbone in 2023, and in 2024, he injured his ankle in the Tigers’ final game of the year vs. Pendleton.
“He would’ve been a thousand-yard passer and thousand-yard rusher for us last season, were it not for those injuries,” said Boggs. “You want to make sure he utilizes his running ability, but you also want to take care of him and make sure he stays healthy. His health is going to be a big part of our success.”
His health will also be important once Blue Ridge’s season comes to a close. Just two weeks ago, Forrester was announced as a selection to the North-South Bowl in Myrtle Beach, a game where some of SC’s top seniors get the chance to compete in front of college coaches.
Forrester hopes to play football in college. He has an offer from Erskine. Several other schools have shown interest — some for his abilities under center, but more for his abilities in the secondary.
The senior signal-caller doubles as a talented defensive back for the Tigers.
“Anybody that wants to take a chance on me to play college football for them, that’s a blessing and an awesome opportunity to have,” said Forrester. “I’m familiar with both the QB and [defensive back] positions, so now I’m working to become as good as I possibly can at both. That way, when I get to college, I don’t have to try and catch up.”
And whenever Forrester is ready to hang up the cleats, he already has his next path in mind.
Forrester hopes to serve in the military.
“Since I was a little kid, I’ve always had it in mind to join the military,” said Forrester. “My great-grandpa was in the military, but other than that, I don’t know if anyone else in my family has served… if the opportunity to go to school and play football at a [military] academy came up, that’s something I’d definitely look hard at.”
For the present, Forrester is set on taking his Tigers as far as they can go.
Step by step, he wants to leave the program in a better place than he found it.
“I think the biggest goal is to get as many wins as we possibly can this season,” said Forrester. “We were 1-10 my sophomore year, but then last year, we were able to get four wins. So the progress is clearly there.
“If we can keep improving — and maybe get five, six, seven wins this season — then when we're gone, maybe the next senior class can do even better. That’s what I really want to see.”
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