09/03/2024
From the Sept. 3rd edition from the Bristol Herald Courier. Article
written by Allen Gregory.
BIG STONE GAP, Va. – Folks around Bullitt Park love to talk about their beloved Union Bears football program.
From running backs Thomas and Julius Jones at Powell Valley to longtime Appalachia head coach Tom Turner, the stories are free-flowing and colorful.
Flash forward to the recent media day session for Union.
Among old and young fans, the hot topic in the large crowd involved the new quarterback for the Bears.
Meet Kam Bostic.
The six-foot junior learned the basics of Union football as a ballboy and has studied under his father, Union offensive coordinator Kory Bostic.
“There is some pressure,” Kam said. “People in this town think highly of our football program and players, so we do everything we can to make them proud.”
Judging from the first two chapters of the 2024 season, the Bostic story figures to be compelling.
In a VHSL Benefit game two weeks ago at Bullitt Park, Bostic completed all 10 of his pass attempts for 229 yards and two scores in a 48-7 defeat of Eastside.
In Friday’s season opener against Mountain 7 District rival Lee High, Bostic was on target for seven of his eight throws for 89 yards and a score in a 47-0 victory. He also rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries.
Those numbers were not surprising for fans who know the backstory with Bostic.
This athlete began playing quarterback at age eight and continued in that position until his ninth-grade year at Union. He was even the quarterback of the Bears junior varsity team.
“Quarterback was always my position growing up,” Bostic said.
Following the graduation of versatile quarterback Reyshawn Anderson after last season, Union head coach Travis Turner needed a new leader. Bostic was an obvious choice.
“It took a while to get everything back, but I caught up pretty quick,” Bostic said. “I was able to get in a lot of work during 7-on-7 sessions over the summer and during practice.”
Naturally, Bostic has a close working relationship with the orchestrator of the Union offense.
An all-state receiver at Haysi High School who later played at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Kory Bostic has served as Union’s offensive coordinator since the consolidated school opened in 2011.
“My father is my coach in basketball too, so it’s year-round athletics with us,” Kam said. “He is a coach on the field and in the gym, but he’s just dad at home. We try to keep it that way.”
There must be a steady give and take process between an offensive coordinator and his quarterback. That relationship comes with high expectations at Union.
“Dad is very tough on and I’m thankful for that. He helped me get where I am today” Kam said. “We will definitely be watching a lot of film together this season.”
What about the pressure level for Kory this season?
“Obviously, I will be nervous at times,” Kory said. “We need Kam to make good decisions and stay healthy for our team to be successful, but he’s prepared himself for this opportunity.”
That preparation to prime time has been extensive, according to Kory.
“Kam was one of our ballboys during games at a young age, so he had a grasp on how we do things. And our offense hasn’t changed a lot since then,” Kory said.
“I try to keep football and home life as separate as possible, but we do talk a lot during practice and watch film at home.”
The younger Bostic said the presence of powerful junior running back Keith Chandler and four returning starters on the offensive line provides a comfort zone.
“Keith makes my job a lot easier. He’s big, tough and hard to tackle,” Kam said. “And our offensive line is great. Those guys have game experience and they worked hard all summer.”
Athletic ability is not an issue for Kam. He qualified for six events in the hurdles, jumps and sprints in last year’s VHSL Class 2 track and field meet at James Madison University.
“I feel like I can run this offense,” Bostic said. “I like throwing the ball, but I feel comfortable scrambling and I trust our coaches to call the right calls.”
Kam is eager to author his own success story for the Bullitt Park regulars.
“I remember being a ballboy here when James Mitchell played,” Bostic said. “Being around a great athlete who went on to the National Football League and other talented Union players was a big motivator.
“Just like my teammates, I’m very committed to this program. Playing games in this environment at Bullitt Park just makes it more special.”
