By T. Scott Boatright
Ruston junior Aiden Anding is an equal opportunity athlete.
He’s ready to tackle any and every opportunity in front of him.
Anding, a cornerback for the Ruston High School football team, came off a starring role on the basketball court to become a major impact for the Bearcats’ football defense this season.
That move wasn’t a complete surprise for RHS football coach and athletics director Jerrod Baugh.
“He came to see me after basketball season was over,” Baugh said. “He’s got a lot of friends that play football and a couple of them had been mentioning it. And of course, we remember seeing him play football when he was in junior high. And he’s a really good basketball player, too. I think he saw the opportunity to start there as a freshman and did, so I think that was a really good opportunity for him.
“But I think his friendship with a lot of guys on the football team lended itself to where he wanted to come play. And that’s been really good for our football team, and not only for how he plays but his leadership and all of those things that he brings to the table has just been great. You don’t find many kids who sit out a couple of years, particularly in football, and are able to jump back in and get things back going right from the start. But you couldn’t tell he’d taken any time away from football. He came back to the football field and hit the ground running.”
Anding said it’s all about opportunities.
“It’s more opportunities,” Anding said. “It’s more opportunities to make it to the college level. More opportunities to go pro. Just to make it out. You know, basketball, it helps me with knowing how to guard a receiver. And football will help me the same way once I’m back out on the (basketball) court.”
RHS basketball coach Ryan Bond preaches defense first for his basketball team. Anding is a solid defensive player who is also a key 3-point shooter for the Bearcats’ basketball team.
But it all amounts to Anding loving the ball in his hands, as he did when he picked off a pair of last week’s 29-26 home win for the Bearcats against Lafayette Christian.
“Nowadays so many people are into specializing in one sport or another they don’t realize the benefits of playing multiple sports,” Baugh said. “The things you have to do in other sports often relate to some of the things you have to do in another sport.
“For him it’s that ability to see the ball, whether it’s a basketball or a football, and get after it has really helped him become a ballhawk. You see it out there on the basketball court, too. He’s just got a knack for making plays on the ball. A lot of guys get into the habit when they’re on people in coverage where they think they’re just supposed to knock balls down and not catch it, but his attitude toward it is that’s his football and he gets after it and attacks the ball. That’s lended itself to him getting some interceptions and making some really big plays for us.”
Anding simply called it being in the right place at the right time.
“When I see a ball coming to me, I’ve got to make a play,” Anding said. “I’m thinking to myself. I’ve got to make a play, my team’s depending on me.”
Anding said it’s a love of defense, no matter what sports, that fuels his competitive fire.
“I played running back when I was young, then in junior high they moved to receiver and then cornerback,” Anding said. “I love (NFL) players like Jaire Alexander, Derrick Stingley Jr., Jalen Ramsey … all of them.”
Anding isn’t sure yet what athletic direction he’ll take heading to the next level.
“Whichever sport gives me the best opportunity, I’m taking,” said Anding, who said he wants to major in nursing in college.
“It feels real good and sets the bar real high. I want to put a name out there for our school in general. We haven’’t had that in a long time. So us coming out here, and putting that Ruston name back in championship talks, feels good.”
Anding will lead the Bearcats into Friday night’s marquee match-up at Neville.
