Much like a general leading his troops into battle, so does the quarterback maneuver his teammates and mercilessly lead the attack on the football field. Unfortunately, for the sprint football team, the identity of their fearless leader remains in doubt, as junior Brian Kennedy is on the shelf with an elbow injury and neither sophomore Zak Dentes nor his classmate Brandon Stoller have emerged as the clear starter.
“Of course it’s a big concern for us at this point,” said head coach Terry Cullen. “Both [Dentes] and [Stoller] are inexperienced and have been up and down this preseason. That said, both have been competing really well thus far.”
[img_assist|nid=18221|title=Make the call|desc=The sprint football team is still looking for a starting quarterback, as expected starter, junior Brian Kennedy (12) is out with an arm injury. (Alexandra Pivoda / Sun File Photo)|link=popup|align=right|width=66|height=100]The lack of experience at the position hasn’t been helped by the limited number of practices that the Red has been able to put in. Coming into its final week of practices before the Red opens its season on Saturday against Penn, the team has only been on the field together nine times. That fact has made it difficult for Dentes, who did not play last season, and Stoller, who did not register a passing attempt, to stand out as the offensive leader.
Kennedy’s injury further compounds the problem. With the graduation of last year’s starter, Alec Macaulay ’05, Kennedy entered the season as the presumed starter. Despite Macaulay making the majority of last year’s passing attempts — 121 of the Red’s 141 — Kennedy was still able to see significant action. After undergoing off-season surgery and making a full recovery, the junior developed additional arm problems that have allowed him to practice but not throw.
“Right now there is no time-table for his return,” Cullen said. “We’re just waiting to find out exactly what’s wrong.”
The Red’s quarterback question could also have an impact on other aspects of its offensive attack. Ideally, Cullen would like to use the passing game in order to open up the running lanes for senior Mike Fullowan, a three-time All-CSFL running back. Perhaps the Red’s most potent offensive weapon, Fullowan ran for 579 yards and scored four touchdowns in seven games last season and the Red look for much of the same heading into this season.
“If we can establish a passing game then we can keep them from stacking the line against us,” Cullen said. “If not, then we might be looking at eight or nine men in the box.”