History offers good omen for area’s experienced QBs

Rarely is it wise to poke the bear. But certain opportunities are too good to pass up.

The one time all football season in which each Horry County head coach was under the same roof, Myrtle Beach’s Mickey Wilson found himself on the hot seat – not for anything he’s done wrong, but more so his knack for finding the right guy.

“Last year, we had them 3rd-and-38, and I was like ‘there is no way we’re losing tonight (at the 2015 CNB Kickoff Classic). We got ‘em, we got ‘em,” said Aynor coach Jody Jenerette of his team’s matchup with Myrtle Beach. “(Quarterback) Drayton Arnold rears back and fires two seeds – boom, boom. Whatever, then we lose, whatever.

“(Coming into the 2016 CNB Kickoff Classic) I was thinking he loses Drayton Arnold, we’re going to OK. And then the ‘quarterback whisperer’ himself winds up getting an eighth grader a Division I scholarship offer. I don’t know how he does it.”

While the Aynor coach’s jabs certainly made Wilson blush, having to replace Arnold – a three-year starter under center for the Seahawks – was no laughing matter.

If any high school football coach works long enough, the day will eventually come where he’ll have to hand the reins of his offense to a new signal caller. Already a difficult task for them to whip their teams into “game-shape,” finding the best candidate to man the most important position on the football field often can be the difference between wins and losses.

“With a new quarterback, the thing you have to do is understand what he does and does not do well,” said Conway head football coach Chuck Jordan. “While it limits them a bit on the front end, as they develop you can add more and more to their workload. Experience offers a lot of perks.”

In his more than 30 years as Tigers football coach, Jordan has seen more than his share of quarterbacks come and go. His current one, Peyton Derrick, is one of the best in the bunch, having shattered several school passing records during his two full years under center.

If the numbers have their say, the two of them could be in for a whale of a season. In fact, such could hold true for seven other local squads as well, history proving teams finding success easier to attain with an experienced field general.

Over the past three seasons, Grand Strand area teams have a 140-130 record with a returning starter under center – a winning percentage of .520. Conversely, squads breaking in a first-year guy at quarterback tend to have a tougher go of things, going 66-82.

In many instances, the quarterback has proven to be the biggest reason for his team’s success – notable among them Hunter Renfrow at Socastee in 2013, Arnold at Myrtle Beach in 2014 before injuries took their toll, and last year with Conway’s Derrick and Georgetown with Jarvis Brown.

Certainly, some squads are very limited at the position, the decision as to who mans the quarterback spot based largely on the type of offense it runs.

Jenerette counts himself blessed in that regard, having a veteran running his ‘Hammer’ offense. It also helps scheme wise when the coach-quarterback relationship also has a family twist.

“We’re lucky here that our guy (quarterback Caleb Jenerette) is a three-year starter,” the Aynor coach said. “He knows the offense like the back of his hand.”

Some signal callers, however, were plugged in as serviceable types, coaches knowing they would not be asked to do too much. As such, there are few of those teams who were going to run their offense as is, regardless of who the young man was under center.

“Our offense (at Conway) has a lot of pass-run options, so having a experience is quite advantageous,” Jordan said. “With experience, the games slows down a whole lot, a makes things a lot easier for us as coaches.”

After losing an accomplished veteran to graduation following last season, St. James is doing more than its share of tinkering this season at the quarterback position, hoping to find the right recipe for success on offense.

“When you don’t have a starting quarterback returning, it really brings up the question, ‘Do we have a guy who’s best served as a running quarterback, a throwing quarterback, or both?’” said St. James head coach Robby Brown. “Trying to find that out, we’re going to play two quarterback, wanting to play to their strengths and see what they can do.

“It’s tough, but we have to go through it. Eventually we’ll find someone who fits the mold and it’ll work out the best.”

Inevitably, it’s a decision every coach must make. And in some cases, it is the most important – and most stressful – one they’ll make all season long.

A proven starter at the quarterback position , however, makes their lives much easier.

This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 7:41 PM with the headline "History offers good omen for area’s experienced QBs."