By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

Warren Shader is headed up North. The Oak Mountain senior who has quarterbacked the Eagles for the last three seasons on the football field announced on Jan. 11 his commitment to the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky., via his Twitter feed.

“Blessed to say that I am committed to play football for The University of the CUmberlands #GoPatriots,” Shader said on his personal Twitter feed, @WarrenShader.

Shader took over the starting job for Oak Mountain as a sophomore. He saw playing time in his freshman season at defensive back and running back and was a four-year letterman, but really took over the reigns in his second season. In that first season under center he threw for just shy of 400 yards and also tossed five touchdowns while running for 747 more yards and an additional nine scores. Always an adept runner, Shader was the perfect fit to operate head coach Cris Bell’s option-based attack from the jump.

“I’ve been coaching the option in some shape or form since 1995,” Bell said. “And he is by far the best option quarterback I’ve ever coached.”

As a junior for the Eagles Shader improved as a runner, but also made huge strides as a passer, as he threw and ran for over 1,000 yards a piece and led the Eagles to a 9-1 regular season record. His senior numbers were not as gaudy, but he did still accumulate 908 yards passing and 599 yards rushing in just eight games as a senior.

Bell, whose first season at the helm was also Shader’s freshman year, had nothing but praise to give his quarterback who he has watched grow up.

“You have an attachment to your quarterback in general,” Bell said. “When you have a young man that’s really grown up with you, it makes it that much more so. He’s a vocal kid, very charismatic and a lot of fun to be around. We didn’t sling it around a ton but he has a gunslinger’s mentality, which I think makes him better. He brims with confidence.”

Shader is going to a school and an offense in the University of the Cumberlands that runs an option-based offense. The Patriots offense is similar to that of the Naval Academy, according to Bell, and they work both under center and out of the shotgun.

“He’s the type of kid who makes his teammates better,” Bell added. “Whoever plays quarterback behind him will have some pretty big shoes to fill.”