Local quarterbacks perform in college; Locke’s impact play
Our quarterbacks and their performances
Of all evaluations of football teams and their players, the quarterbacks possibly get more print and attention than any others on a team. This is not an unfair practice. Quarterbacks have the spotlight of attention on them every scrimmage play of a football game. More scrutiny or analysis is directed toward a quarterback and his performance than anyone; it is the price one must pay for occupying that prized position.
Last Saturday’s offering of college football games demanded great interest on the part of local fans. Quarterbacks of two different teams were in the limelight. Both put on very impressive performances. Both Taylor Lamb and Kaelan Riley were outstanding quarterbacks for Coach Hal Lamb’s Calhoun Yellow Jackets. Taylor was impressive in his performance for Appalachian State against Georgia on Saturday. I will let Taylor’s dad, Bobby Lamb, head coach for Mercer University, speak on the performance of Kaelan against Jacksonville: “We got Kaelan settled with some short throws and he did a great job of handling the offense. Overall he had a superb game. We’re excited about win number one.”
Taylor Lamb is winding down an outstanding career at Appalachian State and Kaelan Riley, as a freshman, is just beginning his promising career at Mercer.
How impressive were their performances? I will leave it to our Sports Editor Alex Far- rer to provide details in his coverage of these games. Congratulations to two outstanding quarterbacks.
I would also recommend readers go to Lyndi Rae Davis Facebook page and read the article about the Lamb family’s contribution to the football story in the South: Fantastic.
Mollie Locke and a great play
Several decades ago (1978) I chose to name a “Play of the Year” for Red Bud and Calhoun High. Jeff Morrow received the Calhoun award for a great play he made on a punt for Coach D.A. Richardson’s Jackets against Paulding County. Coach Cliff Key chose Larry Thomas for the recipient for the Cardinals.
There are many outstanding plays in the course of a football season or in the season’s play of any other sport. Last Tuesday I saw one I would choose as the play of the year thus far in the softball season. Incidentally, this is one person’s opinion and others are free to make their own choice. I will put my selection against others.
A big play is more than the physical aspect of the performance even though that is the aspect first grabbing everyone’s attention. The impact of the play on the outcome of an athletic contest is also a main consideration.
In my choice I choose Sonoraville’s Mollie Locke’s great catch in right field in Chad Hayes’ Sonoraville Phoenix’s 4-0 victory over the Calhoun Lady Jackets. The play was great, but the impact on the game and the possible consequence were ingredients not to be overlooked. There was no doubt when the ball left the bat of powerful hitter Blair Hall the Lady Jackets were about to score runs. It wasn’t to be as Mollie raced toward the fence and caught the ball on the dead run to erase any such possibilities. The catch rivaled Willie Mays’ great catch off the bat of Vic Wertz in the 1954 World Series in the old New York Polo Grounds. I boast: My friend, the late Tony Wade and I were sitting right above that catch in the centerfield bleachers. I was 19 years old.
Mollie is the daughter of Celina Bennett Locke, one of my favorite students at Calhoun High from years ago. Both Mollie and Celina are beautiful and sweet young ladies, and I congratulate them on the joy they experienced at the execution of that play.
What determines a winning or losing athletic program?
I could head this section as “An idiotic statement,” or “What qualifies one to draw a conclusion?”
I base the following remarks on a question asked each day of a different football coach in Georgia high school football and his response published on the Georgia High School Football Daily newsletter.
When a person assigns to a coach or someone else a position of exception or extreme condemnation the coach readily knows or accepts, that assigner is either mean (unqualified) or green (ignorant). So, to declare to an ultra-successful coach “You are not a coach,” and to make hateful remarks is the height of an agitated mind.
Without exception, all the coaches presented the question responded with a very similar answer. I will let one coach’s answer speak for all of the rest of the coaches. I copy verbatim the words of Coach Chris Brown of Hiram to the question What is the real difference-maker in winning and losing in Georgia high school football?
“I believe talent is the most important factor in sustained success,” said Brown. “I also believe it is important to have a good staff for the team to achieve its full potential, and all great teams have chemistry. Great teams are made up of great teammates.”
To the one making the verbal attack on our successful coach in her sport, only an ignorant person would even suspect she did not know she has had talent and has always attributed her success to that fact. I will notice Coach Terry Crowder’s, of Creekview High, expanded response in a later column.