Three QBs Competing To Be ‘The One’

Terry Mounce, Springdale High senior, during football practice Monday at Bulldog Stadium in Springdale.
Terry Mounce, Springdale High senior, during football practice Monday at Bulldog Stadium in Springdale.

SPRINGDALE — Terry Mounce wants to be a more accurate passer, and the possibility exists that he can be a starter as well.

The rising senior spent this past season as Springdale High’s jayvee quarterback, but the Bulldogs are looking for someone to run their offense now that Will Whatley has graduated.

At the moment, Mounce appears to have a slight edge in a three-man quarterback race that began this spring and will likely continue into the fall.

“I’ve been learning a lot,” Mounce said. “It’s been a challenge, too, trying to earn a spot with all the other kids.

“But it’s been a lot of fun.”

Three's Company

Three quarterbacks are competing this spring to be Springdale High’s starter in the fall. Here’s a look at how they compare:

Name^Class^Height^Weight

Terry Mounce^Sr.^5-10^190

Fuller Chandler^Soph.^6-1^175

Drake Wymer^Soph.^6-4^195

Springdale football coach Shane Patrick said he has been encouraged by the progress he has seen during spring practice from Mounce and rising sophomores Fuller Chandler and Drake Wymer.

All three quarterbacks bring a different set of strengths to the table, with Mounce being the oldest and most knowledgable of the bunch when it comes to Springdale’s offense.

“He’s older. He’s got a lot more experience. Therefore he’s probably ahead of the game right now than the other guys,” Patrick said of the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Mounce.

“But at the same time you know they’re coming along. They all three know it’s a competition, and obviously that competition won’t be decided until probably we get into fall camp.”

Mounce said he’s excited about the possibility of earning the starting job after having to wait his turn. He has spent the past few weeks trying to improve his decision-making, get a better grasp of Springdale’s offense and become more accurate with his throws.

“I wanted to get stronger and faster, but really I want to be more accurate than last year,” Mounce said.

Patrick said Chandler has a knack for completing short passes, and coaches have worked with the 6-foot-1, 175-pound sophomore on improving his technique on throwing the deep ball.

Meanwhile, Patrick said Wymer, the younger brother of Springdale tight end Josiah Wymer, has perhaps the strongest arm of the three quarterbacks. And the sophomore is easily the biggest with prototypical size at 6-4, 195 pounds.

Patrick said Wymer has been bothered lately by a wrist injury. But Springdale’s coaches could get a good look at all three quarterbacks at 5:30 p.m. Friday when the team wraps up spring practice with the Red-White Spring Game at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium.

“They know that they don’t have to go out and win every game,” Patrick said. “But they also know that whoever the quarterback is will have to win us a game or two.”

Springdale relied on a run-first offense powered by Murray this past season. Even Whatley was used heavily as another running option from the quarterback position.

Whatley completed 76 of 145 passes for 971 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but he provided another 455 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Patrick said that he’s looking for his quarterback — whoever it might be — to serve as a “playmaker.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean he must be the most athletic of the three players vying for the starting job.

The Bulldogs already have a pair of highly touted offensive weapons in Josiah Wymer and running back Deandre Murray. Patrick said he’s looking for a quarterback to bring more balance to the offense, stretch the field vertically and avoid making costly mistakes.

So which of the three is his “guy”?

“It’s hard to sit there and say that one is way ahead of the other right now,” Patrick said.

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