Belleville's Mackson is a three-sport star

Belleville's three-star athlete JaVaunte Mackson has been so busy these last few years with three varsity sports that he almost forgot to get his driving license. But don't worry this speedster on the track and football field just passed the driving part of the test so he is now legal.Mackson is a star football player for the Tigers who also plays varsity basketball and track and was fast enough to win the Division 1 regional in the 100-meter dash last spring.Currently several schools are looking at him for football and they include Northwood, Princeton, Syracuse University and Columbia University.“I want this to be a turnaround season for us in football,” Mackson said. “I want us to beat Saline and I think if we do we can make it to the playoffs.”He said everyone on the football team is a lot more about team this season and less about doing things for themselves.“Everyone is more positive,” he said. “This team cares, we have a lot of seniors on the team and we are like a family.”For him this team has fought a lot harder this year in practice. He said they strive for perfection.“We are having more fun in the game,” he said. “And we are having more fun doing it.”He and the team want them to have a better record this season and Mackson truly believes the team could go 6-3 or maybe even 7-2.Mackson and his friend Jacques Reeves have been playing the same position for years and competing with each other.“We both play corner and I have known him since the fifth grade when we played basketball together,” he said. “We always try to push each other to the limit and we are trying to go to the same college together.”When football is over he miss playing it in high school but he will begin basketball and after basketball he will run track. He has goals this season and one is to break his own school record in the 100-meter dash and to finish better than the top six in the 100-meter dash at the state meet.Tiger coach Matt Davenport really likes the talent this athlete possess.“He is the fastest kid in the school,” Davenport said. “He is a three-year varsity player and getting better every day.”Davenport said that he is really becoming a team leader and he is a starting half-back and corner.“He is a good athlete while maintaining a good grade point average,” he said. “I am looking for JaVaunte to our 'big play' athlete.”Mackson has two sisters Moenai (12), Meeye (10) and one brother Maurice (6). His mother, Mia Robinson, and family are big supporters of his athletics.This season he will be wearing the number 21 on the football field in honor of his friend Chris King from Saline who died recently.He offers some simple advice to multiple sport athletes who want to continue in college.“You have to do your school work first and get a lot of rest,” Mackson said. “Your body can shut down if you don't take a break.” Belleville's