Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008

PREP FOOTBALL: Quarterback shuffle working for Blaine

Quick quiz: What were the top four passing teams in the Northwest Conference this season?

The first three might be easy. Meridian always puts up big numbers throwing. Mount Vernon had the top passing quarterback in the conference with Ray Walser. And Lynden is known for passing the ball with it's spread offense.

But the No. 4 team is Blaine.

Yes Blaine - the same offense that has been led to victory by four straight Casey McCabe rushing performances of 150 or more yards.

But the Borderites have actually piled up more yards passing the ball this year (1,707) than they have running the ball (1,641) entering a 7 p.m. Class 2A state quarterfinal against Lynden on Friday, Nov. 21 at Civic Stadium.

"I'm not surprised by the success we've had passing the ball," Blaine senior quarterback Daniel Gorze said in a phone interview. "We have too much talent at wide receiver not to pass it to them. Those guys have some good hands and good speed."

What has been a surprise, though, is that Blaine has not one, but two standout quarterbacks on its roster capable of leading the team to victory.

While Gorze leads the team with 1,114 yards passing and 12 touchdowns this season, junior Jordan McCarty has passed for 593 yards and eight TDs.

"We knew we had Daniel coming back after being a starter as a junior, and he had improved quite a bit over the offseason," Blaine coach Jay Dodd said in a phone interview. "So we came into the season expecting to throw the ball a little more.

"It made sense earlier in the season, because we had a young offensive line. We've been able to run the ball a lot more recently because the offensive line has matured and gotten better."

Gorze was expected to be the team's starter throughout the season after he threw for 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior. And for the first five games he did, leading Blaine to a 3-2 start to the season.

But Dodd said before playing Squalicum in Week 6, Gorze developed a rare skin disease that formed blisters on his hands.

"We didn't know if he was going to be able to play in that game," Dodd said, "so we started to give Jordan some more reps in practice."

The duo split snaps in the game, but a broken finger on his passing hand suffered on a special teams play forced Gorze out of action the next week against Burlington-Edison and moved McCarty into the starting role.

"Even though I wasn't starting before, I tried to keep practicing hard and listening to what Daniel and the coaches told me," McCarty said in a phone interview. "I just tried to do what I was told ... It was exciting and fun (to start)."

McCarty's play made sure all the Borderites were having fun.

He passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns in leading Blaine to a 42-19 victory over Sehome in Week 8, before passing for two more TDs and 61 yards in an important 27-21 victory over Bellingham that locked up the third seed out of the NWC.

"Jordan came in where we were in a situation with our backs up against the wall, and we really needed some wins at the end of the season," Dodd said. "He came in and he performed very well and helped us get the wins that we needed. I would say he has a very bright future in front of him."

So bright that Dodd stuck with the junior as the starter in a Class 2A Northwest District playoff game at South Whidbey, even though Gorze's finger was healed. The two ended up splitting time, each passing for more than 50 yards and a touchdown to help the Borderites advance to the state playoffs with a 33-2 victory.

The plan for last week's first-round game against Mark Morris was also to split time, but Gorze started and came out hot.

"We got into the game and the offense was just clicking," Dodd said. "The offense had a lot of momentum. We punted on our first series and our last series, and in between we scored seven touchdowns. We didn't feel there was any reason to make the switch. Daniel was able to stand in the pocket, step up and deliver the ball, even though he was taking some shots. He showed a lot of guts in there."

Gorze finished with 236 yards passing and three touchdowns in the 49-25 win.

So what about this week against a Lynden defense that shut out Interlake last week and allowed Squalicum only seven points a week earlier?

"Daniel will start, and we'll see where that takes us," Dodd said. "We're in a situation where both quarterbacks can play for us and be successful ... It's a great luxury to have, especially in high school football."

Making it even more of an asset, Dodd said, is the fact that both have different strengths to play off of.

Gorze, is an experienced, smart quarterback, whom Dodd trusts with calling some pass routes and running plays at the line of scrimmage.

"He's played in 20 games for us as a junior and senior," Dodd said. "That's a lot of experience on Friday nights. The pressure just doesn't get to him. He's very calm on game day and very calm under extreme pressure."

According to McCarty, that personality carries over off the field.

"He's a good guy to be around," McCarty said. "He's a calm, laid-back person."

While McCarty doesn't have as much playing experience as Gorze, he has a number of other natural abilities that make him dangerous for opponents, Dodd said.

"He's got a very strong arm and good feet," Dodd said. "He's a tall, lanky kid (6-foot-2, 150 pounds) that is still growing into his body ... He understands football and how to distribute the ball in games. He's very smart and very talented."

In addition to the physical tools, McCarty also has a competitive fire that would surprise most people, Gorze said.

"Off the field he never looks that competitive," Gorze said. "But on the field he sure is. Away from the game he is fun loving."

Both Gorze and McCarty also have the benefit of throwing to receivers Trevor Chau (46 catches, 722 yards, 8 TDs), Jacob Rogers (38 catches, 512 yards 7 TDs) and Todd Bird (11 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Al Bohnson (14 catches, 227 yards, 3 TDs).

With weapons like that and a 1,000-yard rusher in the backfield, it's easy to see why Blaine has confidence, regardless who lines up under center.

"We know we can with both of these guys," Dodd said.