Sports

QB change signals discontent within ’Cats

Paul Dehner Jr.

Buzz around the South Georgia Wildcats’ 41-32 victory at Daytona Beach on Monday night centers on the demotion of starting quarterback Cecil Lester in favor of backup Walter Washington at halftime.

Undeniably, this was the story of the game.

Washington sparked a second-half surge to save the Wildcats from the arms of what would have been an embarrassing defeat to the winless, expansion Thunderbirds, which had been previously outscored 116-26 this season.

As of Tuesday, the starter for Saturday’s home game against the Green Bay Blizzard was undecided.

In arena football, all activity begins and ends with the quarterback.

Under the same line of thought, coach Derek Stingley’s halftime demotion of Lester signaled more than frustration with one position.

Stingley and his staff, along with a contingent of af2 followers, believe, on paper, the Wildcats should be considered among the league’s elite.

Through three games, however, they are one miracle finish and second-half surge away from 0-3.

Monday’s game was marred by missed chances and turnovers, much like the first two, and served as a 60-minute microcosm of a disappointing early-season effort despite a 2-1 record.

“A win is a win,” Stingley said Tuesday, “but, from a coaching standpoint, you look at it and say, ‘My goodness, how did we come out of there with a win with the mistakes that we made?’ ”

Stingley voiced his frustration after the game much as his actions were illustrated during it.

The opportunity he afforded Washington represented more than a position change, rather a message to the entire South Georgia Wildcats team: Be productive or be replaced.

“What I told them after the game was if they can’t take from that, learn from that and get better, then I truly believe certain guys on the team are not meant to play for me this year,” Stingley said.

So, is there a point on the horizon where personnel changes should be expected?

“There was a point,” Stingley said, insinuating moves are imminent. “For me, I don’t wallow in it for a long time. I just can’t.

“This is my fourth year as a head coach, I learn from my mistakes. I learned that if you have a better than average player out there that is willing to play you may have to bring that player in and get him acclimated to what you do as a team and then put some pressure on some other people. Something like that will most definitely be done sooner rather than later.”

The pressure certainly has been applied to Lester.

South Georgia’s victory traced directly back to Washington’s entrance.

He finished 6-of-9 for 140 yards with three touchdowns passing and one more on the ground.

Now Stingley looks to see the response from his quarterbacks before making a decision.

But don’t expect to see another halftime entrance from whoever earns the starting roll.

Some coaches like two-quarterback systems.

Stingley is not one of them.

In fact, he’d prefer not to pull whoever the starter is in the middle of any game the rest of the season.

“At the quarterback position, a decision will be made and it will be close to permanent,” Stingley said. “That is one position you don’t want to be bouncing back and forth.”

Bottom line? Whoever Stingley deems fit to manage the Wildcats offense on Saturday will be expected to be engrained there as the season progresses.

Coaches and players, fans and opponents, all can debate the current quarterback quandary South Georgia finds itself in.

Washington produced Monday. He led his team to 28 points in the second half.

But to call his performance perfect would be wrong. He wasn’t.

He was, however, the spark that ignited a victory.

“That was what we needed for that game,” Stingley said.

Who is to say Lester wouldn’t have led the same resurgence in the second half? Despite turnovers, errant passes and bad reads, this is the same quarterback who led the league in passing yards through the first two weeks.

Either way, the decision won’t make a drastic change in the outlook of the season.

To think Washington will take over and put up numbers like last year’s record-breaking Wildcats QB D. Bryant would be unrealistic.

The same could be said for a sudden emergence from Lester.

The move, however, runs deeper than one position. It illustrates an urgency and frustration with what Stingley feels has become a team currently lacking in effort and aggression.

“Right now, I am trying to still figure out the character and want-to of my team,” Stingley said. “This team is going to accept my identity and they are going to roll with it.”

Until then, I guess we should we keep an eye on the transaction wire.

“You might want to,” Stingley said.

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