STARKVILLE — Chase Nicholson doesn’t see having two great quarterbacks as a problem.
The Starkville Academy football coach also wants to make one thing clear: The Volunteers don’t have a battle to see whether Noah Methvin or Ben Owens is going to start each week.
In fact, Nicholson has been up front with both players since the start of the preseason. He said he told Methvin, the returning starter, and Owens, a transfer from Starkville High School, to work things out and to help each other in the first weeks of the season. That work had laid the foundation for what Nicholson hopes will be a successful marriage.
Starkville Academy took its first step in that direction last week, as Methvin rushed for a touchdown and played key minutes at defensive end, while Owens ran for a score and threw for another one in a 43-21 victory against Lamar School.
“They make it work because they trust each other,” Nicholson said. “They understand what we’re trying to do. We have talked many times what we’re trying to do with the two quarterbacks. It is nothing that I do. It is because those two guys have great moral character and are great leaders and they both agree and believe that it is bigger than them and it is about the team. It was a lot of fun to see that happen in front of everybody. Now everybody can look at them and say, ‘Wow what two impressive young men we have.’ ”
Starkville Academy will try to build on that momentum at 7 p.m. Friday when it takes on French Camp Academy in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS)-Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) crossover game.
Methvin started at quarterback and was 4-for-6 for 40 yards. He scored on a 1-yard run. He also had one tackle and two assisted tackles. Owens came in and kept the Volunteers clicking. He was 14-for-22 for 94 yards and a touchdown. He added seven carries for 46 yards and a score.
Nicholson said it was fun to watch Methvin grab Owens after he did something great. He said Methvin also was there to provide constructive criticism about formations and what Owens needed to do. Owens returned the encouragement by patting Methvin on the shoulder when he returned to quarterback late in the game to help seal the deal.
Nicholson said that teamwork is crucial because the quarterbacks set the tone for sharing on a team that has plenty of competition at positions.
“It is not about competition at positions and being mad,” Nicholson said. “It is about understanding your role and not being selfish. We’re going to be a very selfless team.”
Nicholson said Methvin established that mentality in the offseason when Starkville Academy learned Owens was going to transfer. He said Methvin texted his teammates and encouraged them to embrace Owens. That move laid the groundwork for a smooth transition for Owens, who played for Starkville Academy on its summer baseball team.
“It shouldn’t have worked for Ben,” Nicholson said. “He shouldn’t have been able to plug right in there. Everything was against him, really, coming in, but our guys didn’t say, ‘We have a new player. (They said) we have a new guy.’
“It speaks a lot for Ben because he is very outgoing, but he is not overly outgoing. He is not one of those who is going to be, ‘Me, me, me.’ He is going to talk to you like he has known you forever and you can’t help but like the guy. It was a combination of his personality and our guys’ expectations to make him feel at home and go to work.”
Nicholson said there was immediate respect based in part on the fact many of the Volunteers already knew Owens. Still, the quarterback position gets a lot of attention and Nicholson understands how two seniors could want to be in the spotlight in their final prep seasons.
But Methvin and Owens established how things would work in the preseason. They split reps and Nicholson said he stuck to the plan, which he feels supported everything the players were doing.
Prior to the game against Lamar School, Nicholson said he named Methvin the starter on Tuesday. He said Wednesday he hadn’t spoken to Methvin and Owens yet to tell them who was going to start. Nicholson said he also was unsure of how he would handle telling Methvin and Owens who would start each week. He doesn’t believe it will be an issue because both players know they will see playing time, especially with Methvin being a key member of the rotation on the defensive line.
Nicholson said Methvin’s ability to give players like Kyle Faver, Walker Tranum, and Will Holley a break will factor into his thinking about who is taking snaps at quarterback.
“The plan last week was if Meth played defense, Ben you go in,” Nicholson said. “If you look, when Meth was in on defense, Ben comes in on the next series. The difference was we kept Ben in longer than really maybe the plan might have originally said. But that was not my call. That was Meth. He said, ‘Keep him in there, coach. He is doing great. I will go play defense.’
“That says a lot about their relationship and the trust they have for each other, for me, and for the team to get the job done.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
