By Bill Oram
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Oct 27, 2010 08:12PM
Updated Oct 28, 2010 12:33AM
Sandy • The Alta football team will emotionally limp onto its turf Friday, its hopes of advancing past the first round of the playoffs pinned to a player once already stripped of the starting quarterback role.
Tyson Blackner was the Hawks’ second starting quarterback this season, but after an injury third-stringer Eric Emery last week, gets another shot against Northridge in the postseason.
“You just got to get it done and none of us have done that yet,” Blacker said. “That’s why it’s happening.”
The “it” is the first losing season in coach Les Hamilton’s six-year tenure and the first time in recent memory that Alta’s offense isn’t anchored by an all-state quarterback. This season, Boston Handley was benched after six games when he was unable to kick a habit of throwing late-game interceptions, then Blacker was pulled after throwing an interception to start the third quarter against American Fork on Oct. 8.
“We’re trying to find consistency,” said Hamilton, who said last week he will leave Alta at the end of the season. “So far at the quarterback position we’ve struggled to make good decisions consistently.”
Hamilton thought he found the guy who would at least cut down on turnovers in Eric Emery, a senior who until the American Fork game had never taken a varsity snap or even practiced with the first team. The scout-team quarterback became the varsity play caller — at least until a Pleasant Grove linebacker last Friday knocked him unconscious and most likely ended his season.
Alta went on to lose to the Vikings 21-16.
“The biggest thing is it makes it hard on the team,” Hamilton said. “We’ve always had the go-to guy. We’ve struggled to find that guy.”
Three years ago Ryan Rosenvall led the Hawks to a 5A state title, and the next year it was Ammon Olsen. Rosenvall now plays at Middle Tennessee State and Olsen signed with Southern Utah.
Last season, Jordan Brown, who is planning to walk-on at Brigham Young, led the Hawks offense.
Those guys made for three starting quarterbacks in three years — as many as have started under center for Alta this season alone.
“You get questions every day,” Blackner said. “‘Who’s starting? Are you starting?’”
The answer, at least this week, is yes, Blackner is starting.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/50554537-77/alta-class-quarterback-season.html.csp
Banner-Sidebar
