At 6-3, 210-pounds, William McEntee is a force to be reckoned with on the East Chapel Hill football team. He’s not only one of the biggest and fastest Wildcats, he’s also a team leader on the offensive and defensive. The senior captain has helped East Chapel Hill football improve every year he’s played.

But, as good as he is at football, he’s even better at lacrosse.

McEntee was all-state last year as a junior defender, and he earned honorable mention as a sophomore. East has gone 49-11 in lacrosse over the previous three years and never missed the playoffs.

He’s also been a straight-A student at East Chapel Hill (with a GPA of 4.85, including Advance Placement credits), and is line to be one of its valedictorians

He’s done well enough that he drew the attention of Air Force Academy head coach Eric Seremet, who offered him a spot in the Falcons’ program.

The Chapel Hill News asked McEntee about his college choice.

Why choose the Air Force Academy? “I had always had a lot of respect for the military, but I had never thought that it was the path that I wanted to choose. I had never really considered it until I got a call from the coach. He invited me to come for a visit. When I got out there with my dad, we both came to the same conclusion, which is that is where I wanted to be. It was just the right fit.”

Howso? “It’s a gorgeous place. It’s right on the edge of the Rocky Mountains. You look one way and you see mountains, and you look the other way and you see the plans. There is something special about being able to go to school and be in the military and play lacrosse, right there in the Rocky Mountains. It’s an amazing place with amazing opportunities. It would have been hard to say ‘no.’ There aren’t too many opportunities like that.”

Have you ever wanted to fly? “Piloting is pretty appealing. Half the graduates go on to fly, and the other half go on to other things. I could see myself being a pilot, but I also see myself in engineering. I’ll just wait and see until I get out there. Usually you choose by your junior year.”

Would you like to play football, too? “I was always better at lacrosse. That’s just how it played out. I love football as well, but lacrosse is the sport that I was recruited to play most of the time. I figured that’s the one I should play.”

Which sport do you like best? “That’s a tough one. I love both of them. Friday night lights are a blast, but going deep into the lacrosse playoffs is always a ton of fun. I can’t choose between the two. I love both of them.”

Best sports memory? “I played on a Culbreth (Middle School football) team that went 8-0. Most of that team formed the nucleus of the present Carrboro football team.”

Is it true you’ve never gotten a ‘B’? “Yes.”

What were your toughest classes? “ Latin III and calculus my junior year.”

What’s been your favorite class? “Calculus. … It was difficult, but I enjoyed it a lot; I had a great teacher, and I found it fascinating. Some of the stuff that we learned was pretty cool.”

How have you liked East? “It’s great to go to a school where you have quality football coaches, quality lacrosse coaches, and quality teachers – all in one school. I’ve been lucky enough to have good teachers and good coaches pretty much through my entire school experience.”