PV QB Change Effective (So Far)

Piedra Vista swapped sophomore QBs during Friday's win, their first of the season.

Out is the 6-foot-1, 190 pound Shilo McCall. In is the 5-foot-9, 220 pound Richard Gonzales.

The braces-wearing linebacker played well for a sophomore switching to varsity QB midseason, although I'd like to reserve judgment since Albuquerque High's football team is small: They had eight players on the sideline during play by my count. They were a far cry from PV's first five opponents, all losses.

The Panthers' line had a much easier time keeping the Bulldogs' defensive players away from the quarterback.

"I felt way comfortable back there. My line was doing a heck of a job," Gonzales said. "They were blocking real good for me tonight. We stepped up our game blocking-wise. The last couple games we hadn't been doing so hot."

Gonzales found room to run, completed 12-of-19 passes for 110 yards, accounting for five touchdowns.

He threw three TD passes to Morgan McCasland and rushed for two more. McCasland beat his man 1-on-1 on all three scores, but Gonzales put the ball where he could catch it without difficulty.

"Perfect. It was right there every time," McCasland said of No. 12's passes. "It was good. I like Richard back there at quarterback."

Gonzales did force a few throws, two of which turned into INTs, and never did anything that convinced me he'll be a vertical threat. If he can learn to make better decisions and continue to complete safe short-to-intermediate passes he'll be an adequate option at QB.

The move also frees up McCall, a good athlete, to run the ball or line up as a receiver.

I'm told that PV threw the ball less than a handful of plays in their loss at Cleveland. The play calling was balanced and effective Friday. I thought a few bubble screens to receivers were set up well and could be a plus play for PV going forward.

Here's what coach Jared Howell said about Gonzales, the quarterback:

"He's got a good football mind. He's a good linebacker, he can be a lineman, he can be everything. And he can be a quarterback. Apparently we like portly quarterbacks. Paul Shay... they seem to do well for us.

"When we got into practice, it looked like we'd been doing it all year. I think he'll get better and better and better. The kids believe in him. We were able to get more athletes out. Sometimes you think you've got something built for the future, we're young and you try to stay with it, but after a while, you've got to say, 'OK, maybe this isn't what we are.' I think maybe we've found an identity."

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher