Newquarterback Nutt lifts Rangers to easy win
Converted DB accounts for 216 total yards
Some call dence.
Smithson Valley coach Larry Hill offered an alternate description for senior quarterback Jalen Nutt.
“He’s got an inner arrogance, although he’s the most polite, non-arrogant kid that there is, but he thinks he can make plays, and more importantly, our team thinks he can make plays,” Hill said.
That was evident in the Rangers 31-6 victory over Madison in a non-district contest Friday at Comalander Stadium.
A converted defensive back, Nutt rushed for 126 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. He also completed 7 of 10 passes for 90 yards.
He led an offense that generat
it a quiet confied 420 total yards, including 325 on the ground.
It was the second start at quarterback for Nutt, who had three interceptions as a member of Smithson Valley’s secondary last season.
“He’s the unquestioned leader of this team,” Hill said. “He knows it. They know it. We all know it. He’s a defensive back by trade, and that’s probably what he’s going to play at the next level, but this is what this team needs him to do, and he’s willingly accepted it, and he’s getting better every time he goes out there.”
It’s not a newposition for Nutt, who played quarterback from elementary school to his sophomore year before he switched to defense.
Still, he had to get used to it again.
“I kind of struggled. I wasn’t too sure what I was going to play, quarterback or play defensive back, but I adjusted really quick,” Nutt said. “Our coaches and teammates helped train me dur
ing the quarantine.”
Nutt found most of his success between the tackles on draws.
“Those were really big holes,” Nutt said. “They pushed me up so I could get inside the pocket and then curl up to my left or my right. That was pretty good spot for me.”
His success there set uphis running backs, including Gabe Hoskins (11 carries for 81 yards) and Garrett Brooks, who had 53 yards on five attempts before he was carried off the field in the second quarter with an apparent ankle injury.
The Rangers held the Mavericks to 156 total yards, including 34 in the second half. Smithson Valley also forced nine punts.
Smithson Valley improved to 2-0, while Madison is 0-1.
The teams traded touchdowns to open the game.
Smithson Valley took a 7-0 lead on Brooks’ 2-yard run. He had runs of 27 and14 runs to set up the score.
Madison quarterback Royal Kyle answered with a 6-yard scoring run that finished an 84-yard
drive at the 5:50 mark of the first quarter. The Rangers kept the lead at 7-6 after a missed extra point try.
The Rangers extended their lead with a 10-point second quarter.
Hoskins’ 6-yard TD run made it 14-6 early in the second after Maverick Freeland snagged a 40-yard catch four plays earlier.
The Rangers took a 17-6 lead with two seconds left before halftime on Austin Hosier’s 22-yard
field goal. The Rangers moved quickly to get that score after taking over at their 35 with 51seconds to play in the half. Freeland had a 24-yard catch and Nutt had a 24yard run on the drive.
Smithson Valley tacked on two touchdowns in the second half, with a 2-yard scoring run by Nutt in the third quarter and Travis McCracken’s 1-yard TD run in the fourth.
Both teams dive into district play next week. The Rangers face Wagner in a 27-6A contest on Friday at Rutledge Stadium. It will be Wagner’s season opener.
The Mavericks meet Roosevelt on Oct. 10 at Comalander in 28-6A.