Quarterbacks

[E.T.]

Published Thursday, August 26, 2004

BIGGER IS BETTER

Polk's Top Quarterbacks Deal With Bright Lights and Big Expectations

By Roy Fuoco

The Ledger

roy.fuoco@theledger.com

High school starting quarterback. Is there any sports term that better conjures up All-American images? It's right up there with baseball and apple pie.

On the seamy side of sports, it can create a me-first mentality -- a Varsity Blues world of privilege and sweet desserts -- and it would be naive to believe that world doesn't still exist today.

"I don't think there's the same aura about the position today," Lakeland coach Bill Castle said.

But quarterbacks don't need special privileges to understand that their role is different than players at other positions. Perhaps only running backs can appreciate the responsibilities on the field and the aura off the field that star quarterbacks feel, yet it's still not the same. Perhaps because, as nothing can happen in baseball until the pitcher makes his pitch, every play begins with the actions of the quarterback.

The top four quarterbacks in the county entering this season don't think they get special treatment. But Matt Grothe of Lake Gibson, Chris Griffin of Lakeland, Dedrick Davis of Auburndale and Derek Cassidy of Lake Region all understand that they carry a different burden of responsibility than their teammates, both on and off the field.

On the field, there's a reason why field general is a term that is sometimes substituted for quarterback.

"Obviously, you want the quarterback to be a leader," Castle said. "Chris is a good leader. He's the type of player you want. He works hard."

That was the general consensus of coaches. The quarterback needs to be a leader. But what is a leader?

Don't look at these players as being the rah-rah, outspoken sort of leader. It's sort of like art -the players know it (leadership) when they see it.

Davis projects the sort of leadership Auburndale coach Bob Williams expects.

"He's our leader, no doubt," Williams said. "And he leads by example. He's not a big talker."

Each of the four quarterbacks have different burdens or expectations as their team's leader. After last season's success for Lake Gibson, Grothe is expected to keep the Braves on top. At Lakeland, Griffin follows a heralded line of former Dreadnaughts quarterbacks on a team steeped in tradition. Davis has more than quarterback duties to worry about as he could be playing as many as four other positions, not including special teams. Cassidy, a talented runner and passer, is one of the few returning players on a team trying to establish a winning tradition.

These expectations are put on them by fans.

Some coaches put more responsibility on their quarterback than they do other players. Yet even coaches who say their quarterback's role is no more important than other players admit that quarterbacks often have more responsibilities, depending on the sort of offense that is run.

"It's different than other positions," Davis said. "As a quarterback, you have to know what every other player is supposed to be doing."

There's a fine line between challenging the quarterback as a leader and making sure he doesn't do too much. More than one coach said that they tell their quarterback that if he thinks he can win a game alone, then he should try playing one against 11.

What appears to be true is that while it's important to have the right kind of talent behind center, it's also important to have the right kind of player.

"They're role models," Williams said. "It's either positive or negative. We want them to represent Auburndale football in a positive way."

And that brings us to how a quarterback's role is different off the field, although it's not necessarily just the quarterback who experiences it.

Let's face it, the average fan might not know who the outside linebacker is or the right guard, but it normally knows who the quarterback is. That can be both good and bad.

The good is Monday after a victory. There are the pats on the back, the good-wishes, etc.

The bad is Monday after a loss.

"Because when you lose, it's all on you," Grothe said.

They admit that they're often peppered with questions about what went wrong.

"Especially when you throw an interception to end the game," Davis said, remembering the interception he threw in the end zone with his team trailing Land O'Lakes by five points.

How quarterbacks handle both the good and the bad can be important to the team's success.

"The other kids look up to him," Williams said. "It's important he's a solid citizen. If he's selfish, it can cause problems."

[smazza]

he may have been supplanted already

[E.T.]

Too early to tell ... will be at the game 2nite and will have a full report 2nite, unless it's 2morrow morning  8)

I'll be wearing my Green & Gold !, but sitting in Lakeland's section

Go BULLS !!!

[E.T.]

Earlier discussions on verbals:

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1092724355

And Grothe's game against Lakeland:

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1093664586

And Carlton Hill's verbal:

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1093321696

And Jarred Fayson(2006 verbal)

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1092892614

Chat about our depth with commits & transfer:

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1092753705

[E.T.]

Other QB's that has interest in us:

Mike Dunn 6-0 190 lbs. Orlando, FL

James Starks 6-3 180 lbs. Niagara Falls, NY

Never know, they may end up walk-ons ...

[E.T.]

Speaking of Carlton hill, he won his first game yesterday:

County 26, FAMU High 22:

At Monticello, J.R. Sloan ran for 188 yards and ran for TDs of 90 and 80 as Jefferson County defeated FAMU High.

Carlton Hill also completed 4 of 9 passes for 86 yards, including a 70-yard TD to Jonathon Dady to put the Tigers ahead. Hill also ran for a touchdown for the Tigers.

[E.T.]

Published Friday, September 3, 2004

Grothe Heroic in Rally

Thriller: Taylor grabs late TD pass to pull Lake Gibson past rival Kathleen.

By Roy Fuoco

The Ledger

roy.fuoco@theledger.com

LAKELAND -- Lake Gibson's seniors had this one last chance to defeat Kathleen, and the Braves used their last opportunity to pull out the victory.

Senior quarterback Matt Grothe capped a 72-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown toss to Bobby Taylor with 54.3 seconds left to lift Lake Gibson to a 21-17 victory Thursday night at Virgil Ramage Stadium.

A crowd of nearly 4,000 fans witnessed the thrilling finish to a game that saw Kathleen's backfield of Marcus Okobi and Mondrell Lathan combine for 210 yards rushing. But in the end, it was Grothe and his receivers who made just enough big plays to end the Red Devils' threegame winning streak over Lake Gibson.

"The ones who were supposed to make the big plays made the big plays," Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer said.

The game-winning drive, which took nine plays, began inauspiciously when Grothe underthrew a wide-open receiver.

Then the Braves got rolling. Grothe completed four consecutive passes, including a 21-yarder to Roger Frazier that took the Braves to the Kathleen 3.

Lake Gibson stalled when the first two tries for a touchdown pass went incomplete. Then on third down, Grothe lofted a pass to the corner of the end zone, and the 6-foot-4 Taylor outleaped the defender and came down with the game-winning reception.

"He's a big, tall receiver who can jump, and he did the job," DeMyer said.

Grothe finished 17 of 21 for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

Kathleen had been controlling things with a strong ground game. Okobi finished with 112 yards on 14 carries, and Lathan added 98 yards on 10 carries.

Leading 10-7 at halftime, the Red Devils took five plays to score on their first possession of the second half.

Okobi had two runs of 31 yards on the drive, scoring on the second one.

[smazza]

future looks good

[E.T.]

9-17-04

Countryside's Harrison Beck completing 11-of-14 passes for 172 yards and two scores. He had nine straight completions until a late interception.

[Guest HowieP1]

I guess the first game Hill won must have been preseason.

According to this article, Hill won his first game yesterday:

Posted on Sat, Sep. 18, 2004

 

Jefferson picks up first win; Valdosta stops Lincoln

DEMOCRAT STAFF REPORT

MONTICELLO - Carlton Hill ran for 162 yards and ignited a 28-point fourth quarter with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Chris Branham, helping Jefferson County beat Miami Westminster Christian 34-7.

The victory was Jeff Schaum's first at Jefferson County.

Hill's 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter brought the Tigerfs within 7-6. Branham's TD catch gave the Tigers a 14-7 lead.

John Dady returned a punt for a touchdown and Fred Mitchell had an interception return for another score for Jefferson.

RECORDS: Miami Westminster Chr 1-1; Jefferson County 1-2

NEXT WEEK: Jefferson County at Madison County.

Westminster Chr 7 0 0 0- 7

Jefferson County 0 0 6 28-34

First quarter

W - 2 run (kick)

Third quarter

J - Carlton Hill 15 run (run failed)

Fourth quarter

J - Chris Branham 15 pass from Hill (Hill run)

J - Fred Mitchell 46 interception return (Clarence Fead kick)

J - Hill 13 run (Fead kick)

J - Jonathan Dady 70 punt return (pass incomplete)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - Jefferson Co. Hill 12-162.

Passing - Jefferson Co.: Hill 8-22-1 50.

Receiving - Jefferson Co.: Lamarcus Bennett 3-40.

E.T...There are other games listed here which may not have been added already:

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/sports/9695355.htm