HIGH
SCHOOL FOOTBALL FITTING INTO THE SYSTEM SCOTT ASSUMING EVEN BIGGER LOAD AS
NITRO QB
Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 08/16/2007
Page: 1B
Headline: HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FITTING INTO THE SYSTEM SCOTT ASSUMING EVEN
BIGGER LOAD AS NITRO QB
Byline: RICK RYAN
rickryan@wvgazette.com
Scott Tinsley remembers the first time Michael Scott got
into a game as Nitro's quarterback. Remembers very well, in
fact.
Scott, then an undersized freshman, took over in an
emergency situation during a crucial midseason game at George Washington in
2004. Starter Michael Williams broke his leg playing defense early in the
fourth quarter, so the next time the Wildcats got the ball, Tinsley called on
Scott to take the snaps.
While his debut went smoothly, Scott wasn't exactly the hero
that night as Nitro rallied for a victory.
"He handed off to Josh Culbertson 21 straight
times," Tinsley said, chuckling.
Needless to say, Nitro feels a little more
comfortable with Scott under center these days.
Now a solid 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior, Scott will be
counted on to shoulder the load as the Wildcats seek their fifth straight Class
AAA playoff berth. Nitro lost both its tailback and fullback from last
year's squad, throwing Scott into the spotlight even more in his third full
season as the unquestioned starting quarterback.
"He has so much experience now," said Tinsley, who
begins his sixth season as Nitro's coach. "Including the three games he
started as a freshman [when Williams was injured], that's almost 30 games as
the starter. It's hard for teams to throw something at him he hasn't seen
before."
Indeed, when Scott plays in the opener on Aug. 24 at Poca, it will be his 30th as the Wildcats' starter.
"I've come a long way since my freshman season,"
Scott said. "I could barely throw the ball 30 yards. Now, just being in
the weight room and working hard in the offseason and getting stronger has
helped. My confidence level is way higher than when I first came in. Because I
know Tinsley has faith in me, it's given me even more confidence."
Scott flashed his skills in Nitro's first scrimmage Saturday
against Bluefield, completing 18-of-22 passes for 237 yards and five touchdowns
with no interceptions. That comes on the heels of 2,928 yards and 25 TD tosses
last season.
"Most teams around here, their defenses aren't too
complicated," Scott said. "It's not like they try to switch up and
hide stuff. It's mainly one main defense, and they might try to switch up into
one, two other defenses. That's it."
Tinsley said Scott's been able to develop a rapport with his
receivers no matter what the combinations have been - this year's tandem of
Marcos Valentine and basketball star Brett McClanahan, or wideouts
Chris Fulmer and Gideon Casto from the 2005 team that
played in the state finals.
"Michael does something that we talk about a lot with
our freshman quarterbacks in camp," Tinsley said. "A good ball is a
completed ball. But it's not just good enough for the quarterback to throw the
ball to a spot. You have to throw it where each individual receiver can catch
it. Michael is a good to judge about who he's throwing to - to this guy who has
good speed, or this guy who's not as fast. Not all [quarterbacks] do
that."
It's hard to believe that Scott's final fling at Nitro
was almost thrown away.
In mid-June, the SSAC Board of Directors granted Scott a
waiver to play his senior season by a slim 5-4 vote. Scott had repeated the
eighth grade when he transferred from Andrew Jackson Middle School to Cross
Lanes Christian because of family strife at that time.
Had the ruling not come down that way, Scott, his father
Mike, a Nitro assistant coach, and perhaps even Tinsley would have moved
out of state to join forces at another program. Tinsley said the trio had three
solid offers.
When the ruling was made, it brought a huge sigh of relief.
"It's a major relief knowing I could come back and play
with the guys I've been playing with the last three years," Michael Scott
said. "I would have really been disappointed if I hadn't been able to play.
Football is what I expect to get me through college. If I wouldn't have played,
I don't know what I would have done."
As it turns out, Scott has become the latest in an
ever-growing line of QBs to flourish under Tinsley's shotgun spread attack.
While he won't threaten the marks of national record-setter
J.R. House (1995-98), Scott is considered a worthy heir in the Nitro
quarterbacking legacy.
"He can definitely hold his own with any of them,"
Tinsley said.
"I don't want to hurt any feelings by ranking any of
them, but we're confident with him on Friday nights. We're confident he gives
us the chance to win the ballgame. And that's the best compliment you can give
a quarterback. He gives you the opportunity to win."
Pass it on: Nitro's QB legacy
A year-by-year recap of passing leaders at Nitro
under Scott Tinsley, the program's offensive coordinator (1995-2001) and head
coach (2002-present):
Year - Player Comp-Att Yards TD Int
1995 - J.R. House 154-279 2015 11 14
1996 - J.R. House 275-458 3641 31 21
1997 - J.R. House 198-291 2646 33 9
1998 - J.R. House 425-610 5526 65 12
1999 - Jason Ward 51-124 1031 13 6
2000 - Jason Ward 50-104 777 14 4
2001 - Derek Midkiff 191-356 2815
21 21
2002 - Derek Midkiff 187-309 2513
18 11
2003 - Mike Williams 215-338 2737 23 26
2004 - Mike Williams 102-193 1515 10 7
2005 - Michael Scott 128-191 2205 24 7
2006 - Michael Scott 185-298 2928 25 15
To contact assistant sports editor Rick Ryan, use e-mail or
call 348-5175.