Sports

QUARTERBACK END WATSON CHAPEL SKID

By Troy Schulte/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Saturday, October 11, 2008 1:08 AM CDT

There’s an old football adage that states: “If you have two quarterbacks you don’t have one.”

Watson Chapel’s Mitch Lane catches a pass for a first down against LR Fair. Special to The Commercial/Mike Adam

George Shelton is well aware of that saying. The Watson Chapel coach just doesn’t necessarily agree with it.

C.J. Branch and Sebastian Stargell split snaps almost right down the middle as Watson Chapel quarterback on Friday night and both were able to move down the field with their arms better than in any game this season. The two combined for 203 passing yards, the Wildcats’ high for the season, in a 37-14 win over Little Rock J.A. Fair at Wildcat Stadium on Friday.

“We play seven running backs,” Shelton said.

“Why can’t we play two quarterbacks?”

After watching Branch and Stargell on Friday, few could argue.

Though neither player was flawless in guiding Watson Chapel (2-3-1, 1-2 6A South) to its first win in three weeks, there were more big plays than breakdowns.

Branch, who can be called the starter simply because he lined up at quarterback on the game’s first play, completed 6-of-17 passes for 90 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Four of those completions went for at least 16 yards, and those numbers could have been better if it weren’t for a few drops.

Stargell, who had started every game up until this point, threw only four passes but completed all of them for 103 yards and a touchdown. His completions went for 15, 19, 22 and 47 yards.

Yes, Shelton understands the point that playing one quarterback throughout the game helps with continuity and creating a rhythm within unit. But when he has two players such as Branch and Stargell who are good at different things, it’s hard not to play them both.

“The two quarterbacks have skill sets that you can use in the passing game and we’re just tyring to put them in a good situation,” Shelton said. “If they’re capable of playing, we’re going to play them.”

Shelton didn’t enter last night’s game expecting to throw the ball 21 times, but when two of his top running backs were banged up, he didn’t have much choice. Kevin Johnson is still trying to recover from a high-ankle sprain he suffered against Warren Sept. 5. He carried only four times for nine yards.

Nick Vanderbilt, who has had a few big games in Johnson’s absence, tweaked an ankle and carried only three times for 19 yards. He also lost a fumble.

Shelton did get a few big runs from a pair of players who had yet to make an impact on offense. Sophomore Aaron LeGrone’s 27-yard run on the second play from scrimmage set up Watson Chapel’s first score, a 1-yard plunge by Vanderbilt to make it 6-0. LeGrone finished with 43 yards on five carries.

Michael Sullivan, a 5-foot-9 senior, gained 69 yards on only four carries, but his 52-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half turned a close game into a comfortable lead for the Wildcats.

With a 16-8 halftime lead a good return on the kickoff to start the third quarter set Watson Chapel up at its own 48-yard line. On the first play, Stargell pitched it to his left, Sullivan found the left sideline and outran a defender to make it 23-8.

“That was probably where they broke our backs,” Fair coach Donald Harris said. “We had our cornerback take out two players on that play and its hard when three guys are out of the play.”

Watson Chapel scored on its next possession when Branch rolled to his right and was hit as he lofted a pass toward the corner of the end zone. But receiver Mitch Lane jumped between two defenders to snag the 15-yard TD pass and give Watson Chapel a 30-8 lead.

Lane — whose 19-yard touchdown catch from Stargell gave the Wildcats a 14-8 lead in the second quarter — had his best game of the season. Each of his six catches went for at least 16 yards and he had 130 total. Kyle Coleman caught four passes for 73 yards proving that Watson Chapel has a pair of receiving threats.

“We’ve been waiting on (Lane) to make some plays,” Shelton said. “He and Kyle are good athletes. They’re very good athletically, and we thought we needed to give them opportunities in the passing game.”

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