This post was written in early August after Andrew Hockman tore his thumb ligament. Unfortuanatley because of school cutbacks this article could not be published in the newspaper. So here it is an homage to the backup quarterback the most important position in football
George Tommy Mcgrath started his varsity game day just like every varsity game day, warming up beside fellow Quarter Back and Friend Andrew Hockman. Little did he know that less than halfway through that game he would be thrown into the fire of the game. After a gruesome injury put Andrew Hockman onto the bench an opportunity arose for the junior to take control of a team with more potential than any team he had been on before.
During the second quarter of the West Jordan Skyline game Andrew Hockman dropped back to throw as he followed through his thumb, and his season were hit with a crushing blow. And So Tommy Mccgrath was thrown into the action. “Andrew came over to the sideline and he said, I think I broke my thumb” Can you imagine? One of your closest friends coming to the sideline hurt. Tommy Mcrath had a lot to process “I just kind of stood there you know? There’s not much more you can do and then coach (Ereckson) came over and told me he had torn the ligament in his thumb and to get ready so I just started warming up”. Mcrath stepped into the game and was nervous. “Really nervous there was so much going on and I was just thinking man Andrews coming back in Andrews coming back in.” Hockman didn’t come back in though, Mcgrath was left to play the rest of the game. How do you prepare for that? Getting thrown into the game like that at the last second with your team down 17-0. “ The first few snaps were really nerve racking, you’re just thinking all of the sudden oh my god im playing in a varsity game and im really excited. At the same time though your like oh S*@^ look at big (linebacker) number fifty one across the line that guy wants to kill me.” That is an extremely scary thought to have if you’re going into your very first game as a varsity quarter back. How do you even prepare for that? No amount of practice could prepare a person for this right? Not necessarily, Mcgrath bielieves that the amount of preparation a backup gets and that of the time the starter receives matchup fairly well.
Still though even if you had enough preparation and were suddenly thrown into Mcgraths situation you would start off rusty. Which is exactly what happened Skylines first three drives with Mcgrath were all punts and on the fourth drive a nasty int. “Ya the first few drives were rough, but you have to stay positive in those situations, you have to be a leader.” When asked what he thought made a good leader Mcgrath said, “You have to lead by example when things get rough out there, and things will get rough out there, Im probably going to throw an interception at some point, they’re probably going to score a touchdown. I just have to stay positive so I don’t get down on my team mates and so they don’t get down on me.” If there is any game that ebs and flows like a river that has issues in its drainage system its Friday night lights. Its extremely important that a quarterback in any level of the game have a short memory but that is especially true in highschool where in one half you can go from 40 down to 40 up (on the scoreboard) just like that. Another extremely important part of being a Quarter Back is Focus. For a backup focus is even more important because if they are coming in its usually because either the starter is struggling or in Mcraths case, hurt. “There was just so much going on and with Hockman sidelined and they were changing up coverages, eventually (I) settled in there but it took a little while.”
In practices you have two teams, the starters, and then the scout team. The backup has the daunting task of running the scout team which normally feautures players playing positions they are not familiar with. Mcgrath however, says that playing with the scout team and the starters is not much different. “They (the starters) have more experience might be a little more athletic than the scout team, but really your still leading an offense, calling the plays making the same decisions.” All that being said, Mcgrath still admits its hard being a backup thrown into the Shakespearian epic that is a high school football game. When asked if he was ready, “Of course I’m ready, im going to go out there every game and do my best and support my teammates and hopefully we can go out there and win some games.”
George Tommy Mcrath will wake up for the next two months on gameday and do the same thing he does every game day, except now he will be the starter on a team that is now (in September) 2-1 and looking for a state championship. He will have the weight of an entire team on his shoulders, he will take all the criticism when the Eagles lose and all the glory when they win. When Mcgrath has a rough game though cut him some slack. Imagine you were doing a term paper with a partner and all the sudden they got up and moved away and left all the pressure all the work on you, now imagine if you had a whole school watching you with everyone counting on you to provide the perfect paper. In Mcgraths case the perfect season.
By Eric Jensen