Ganther bounces back
Del City quarterback Quinlan Ganther did not perform well early in the season, but he’s come back strong and is The Oklahoman’s Player of the Week.
Quinlan Ganther headed to the school parking lot after Del City’s seasonopening loss to Bishop McGuinness with his mind on the two interceptions he threw.
Ganther, a speedy sophomore, had been tabbed as the starting quarterback by first-year Del City head coach Mike Dunn before the start of the season, and he had high expectations for himself going into the year.
But Week 1 quickly turned into nightmare as he failed to complete many passes against a stifling McGuinness defense and threw two interceptions, including one the Irish returned for a touchdown. Ganther was benched for senior quarterback Jerrod Wood, and Del City ended up losing 32-23.
“It wasn’t how I wanted things to go,” Ganther said. “But my teammates really picked me up.”
Ganther said after the game he and teammates hung out for hours in the school parking lot, mostly just talking and laughing while listening to some music, but also bonding.
“They kept telling me that they believed in me,” Ganther said. “They told me that I would get another chance and that when I did, I would make the most of it.”
And so he did.
This past week against Lawton MacArthur, Ganther threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for another touchdown as Del City won 44-31.
For his performance, Ganther has been chosen as The Oklahoman’s staff selection for Player of the Week.
“Boy did he ever bounce back,” Dunn said. “He’s poised. Even as a sophomore goes he doesn’t get rattled much. So we were excited to see how he played.”
After the McGuinness loss, Ganther didn’t start the next three games. Del City went 1-3 to start the season, but finally found some offensive traction in week 5 as it faced off against Western Heights. Ganther started the second half of that game and helped Del City win 34-14.
Coaches liked what they were seeing out of Ganther in practice all week leading up to last week’s matchup with Lawton Mac.
“He’s a football junkie,” Dunn said. “He’s always in the film room, or working out or going over the game plan.”
Ganther has two explosive receiving targets in seniors Isaac Beverly and Jeff Foreman, who both have the ability to go up and make plays on the ball.
But coaches say Ganther’s studying has helped him learn where the ball should go even before it’s snapped.
“He was perfect last week on his pre-snap reads,” Dunn said. “He knew who was in the best position to make a play all night. It was really impressive to watch.”
For Ganther, the early season stumble led him to study harder and trust his teammates more. He now makes it a habit to hang out with his teammates in the parking lot after every game.
“That’s how we bond,” Ganther said. “It’s not always talking football, but it’s a way we all grow closer as a team. The closer we are, the more we click.”