Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Three-way QB battle shaping up at WCU
Three-way QB battle shaping up as WCU opener approaches
WEST GOSHEN » Experience. Arm strength. Athleticism.
Those are three specific attributes you would like to have in a starting quarterback. At West Chester, all three are on display in what is evolving into an epic three-way race for the job as the August 31 season opener approaches. The issue, however, is that right now each of the top prospects specialize in just one of the three attributes.
Incumbent starter Pat Moriarty is a fifth-year senior with 17 starts under his belt in the last two seasons. Redshirt sophomore Paul Dooley has the strongest arm of the bunch. And transfer A.J. Long, also a redshirt sophomore, has eyepopping physical skills, but has only been in the program for just over two weeks.
It’s probably safe to say that the guy who emerges is probably going to be the one who shows the most promise in the areas other than their specialty. Moriarty was the clear-cut favorite heading into summer camp, but Dooley missed spring practice with an injury and Long didn’t join the team until earlier this month.
“Pat is battling to hold (Dooley and Long) off, but those two are pretty good. It’s going to be a tough battle,” said head coach Bill Zwaan.
“The competition is forcing these guys to make plays under the duress of knowing they have to win the job.”
Zwaan says that the coaching staff will make a decision after examining Friday’s final scrimmage. And even though he would like to announce and stick with a single starter, WCU may use two signal callers in the opener against visiting Bentley (Mass.), especially if it’s a close call between Dooley and Long. And that appears to be the way it’s heading.
“We kind of know how Pat has played in games, so we will have to find out with the other two guys,” Zwaan said. “And the only way to find that out is to put them into the game. We might be leaning towards that.”
You can’t, of course, count out Moriarty, who’s had an up and down career. He first won the starting job by default when Andrew Derr was suspended for the 2015 season. Moriarty wound up starting all 11 games, led WCU to a 7-4 record, and threw for 2,655 yards and 28 touchdowns.
But last fall, Moriarty (6foot-2, 190-pounds) lost the job to Derr, twice — the first after a poor performance in the opener. He got it back when Derr was injured in midseason, but lost it again in game 10. Derr still has a year of eligibility, but decided to move on.
“Pat has all of the playing experience,” Zwaan pointed out. “His problem over the years has been his inconsistency, so he has to keep working on that. Unfortunately, we’ve still seen a little inconsistency in camp, but he has done some good things too.”
Moriarty’s career completion percentage of 53.7 is not a good sign, but he knows the West Chester offense intimately, and is also ahead of the curve when it comes to reading defenses.
“I always want to be more consistent, so I’ve tweaked my throwing motion and I’ve focused on my foot-work,” Moriarty said. “Plus you can always get better at reading defenses.”
Dooley (6-2, 205) only completed one pass as a freshman, but he did get on the field semi-regularly in the wildcat formation. And he gained 129 rushing yards (6.4 per carry) and scored a touchdown in 2016.
“Dooley has a great arm and he can run it well. Missing spring practice hurt him but he is ahead of Long as far as knowing the offense,” Zwaan said.
“We’ve had a long camp this year and it’s been in my favor so I could get caught up with the offense,” said Dooley, who starred at Chestnut Hill Academy in high school.
Long’s road to WCU started at Division I Syracuse, where he logged five starts as a freshman in 2014. He also spent time at FCS Wagner (N.Y.), but did not play. The Bethlehem native has not played competitive football in two years.
“It’s taken time,” acknowledged Long (6-1, 195). “The first couple practices, it was visible that I was rusty, but it’s coming back day-by-day.
“Pat’s been in the system for five years and Paul about three years, so I am just trying to soak up as much as possible. Once I really know the offense, I can just react and not think too much. When I just play, I make plays. When I over-think things, I don’t.”
Even if the Golden Rams experiment with several quarterbacks, look for one to emerge in early September and have a couple games under their belt by the PSAC East opener at Lock Haven on Sept. 23. And regardless the outcome, all involved believe that the WCU offense is going to be a high-octane attack no matter who is under center.
“We are kind of known for being a high-powered offense and we are ready to sling the rock this season,” Dooley predicted.
“Our offense is going to be high-powered no matter who is running the show,” Long added. “We have too many weapons and the offensive line is too good for the offense to struggle.
“If that happens, you can just look at the quarterback room if you want to put the blame anywhere.”