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Morristown West’s Brett Blair is taking his football career to the next level.

Blair, a wide receiver for the Trojans, signed scholarship papers to continue his career at Emory & Henry College of the South Atlantic Conference.

“Really, it was going to their camp a couple of summers ago that that was the place that I found the best connection with the coaches,” Blair said. “I saw a program when I went to the games that I liked and I wanted to be a part of. I took it a little more seriously and took it upon myself to get myself out there to them.”

The fact that Emory & Henry moved up to NCAA Division II and the South Atlantic Conference was not lost on Blair. His joining E&H means that family members will have opportunities to see him play with Carson-Newman and Tusculum in the same league.

“It’s going to be something great to be a part of and I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “Looking forward to playing in those games in the future. I’m looking to play wide receiver there.”

Blair was All-Lakeway receiver during his junior year at West.

Dr. Alvin Sanders, West’s head football coach, liked what he saw from Blair the last few years.

“For the last three years, he has been the heart and soul of our receiving corps,” Sanders said. “He was one of the hardest working guys to come through here. He was very dependable, a team-first guy, ultimate competitor and it showed in game play. He’s a kid who we could count on when we needed a possession. Brett and I talked over the years about (the fact) that ‘I need you to be one of those guys to win at any cost. If you can do it when nobody’s looking, when the lights come on, you’re going to shine very brightly.’

“God has a plan for him, a very bright future and I’m extremely proud of him,” Sanders said.

“Emory & Henry is a very competitive program,” Sanders said. “They don’t cut any corners. They’re going to do it the right way. I have a lot of faith and trust in that coaching staff and that’s why I’m happy to have one of my athletes going to be a part of that program. I know he’s going to be in great hands.”

Sanders said that E&H is getting a great football player, but he emphasized that they are getting a “greater young man.”