With a strong supporting cast, Bates confident as first game approaches
Trey Bates has been named starting quarterback for Bob Jones
Task one for Bob Jones senior quarterback Trey Bates has been accomplished on the practice field as fall camp winds down and game week preparations begin. After waiting patiently for two years as the backup, he seized the opportunity and will get his first start at quarterback for Bob Jones on Thursday night against Athens.
Head coach Kevin Rose this week announced Bates would start and play much of the game. The jamboree game is slated for Thursday night at Madison City Schools Stadium at 7 p.m. He also said that backups Seth Parker and Tyler Whalen will likely also see action in the game.
“Trey had one of his best days of fall camp this week and he is going to be the starter. All three of our quarterbacks have played well in fall camp,” Rose said.
The success Bob Jones has had the last three years has been unrivaled in recent football history inMadisonCounty. Now, with the pressure squarely on Bates, the senior seems confident in both himself and his teammates.
“Every game is important because you never know when it will be your last so I just play the hardest and don’t look back,” Bates said. “My only concern is making the team better, just to be a team player and if I do well then people will notice,” said Bates who added that he wants to play at the next level.
But first he has to prove he can play at the high school level and he will get that chance starting this week against class 5A Athens.
“Coach Rose says I don’t have to make a lot of big plays but just get the ball to our playmakers, and get rid of the ball quick,” Bates said.
In addition to Bates, the Patriots will have new starters at just about every skill position. Roderick Randolph will get his first taste of action as a starter at tight end. At wide receiver, transfer Ben Washington has had an impressive camp and Trey Bankhead also at wide receiver gives Bates a big target to throw to.
Bates will have a familiar face with him in the backfield when Bob Jones takes the field for their first regular season game at Northridge-Tuscaloosa on August 31. Senior running back Kevin Wright knows Bates as well as anyone on the team. The two were teammates at Liberty Middle School. Now after three years the two will again line up in the backfield together.
“He’s good,” Wright said. “You know I played with him in middle school so he knows how I run and I know how he throws. We got a good connection. I’m really excited to see him out there because he’s got a great arm.
I’ve been waiting for him to get in at quarterback because I know he’s ready for it. It’s going to take a little time but I know he has got what it takes,” Wright added.
Jay Rogers has looked very good running the football in camp and Rose wants to see him in a game type situation.
As has been the case in the past, the starters will play much of the game for both Athens and Bob Jones.
“My intention is to play to win the game and I’m sure Athens will too,” Rose said of his approach to the preseason game. “We need to get a good look at where we are conditioning-wise, where we are in different phases of the kicking game and it is hard to do that if you substitute a lot. For us it is almost like a regular season game. We want to get a look at how many times a guy can carry the football. You don’t want to find out in week 1 that his wall is at a certain number of carries because you didn’t play him enough.”
Rose will be watching how well his defense can stop the run. Seniors Anthony Glover at defensive tackle and Drew Davis at linebacker will be the keys to stopping the run.
“We got a very active group,”Davis said of the defense. “I have a lot of confidence in them. They all listen to the coaches, do their jobs and work together. With all the seniors we graduated it is like it is on me to be the leader.”
Rose appears to have settled on a starting offensive line which he said will be one of the team’s strongest units. Dustin Pascal has moved to center flanked by Jeremy Tuttle and Branden Ray at guard and Zerrin Moss and Jordan Shelton at tackle.
Coach Rose said that the coaches are still evaluating players on a daily basis and will use the game to further evaluate and get his best players on the field. “We move people based on production,” Rose said.
“I don’t anticipate playing anybody we wouldn’t play in a regular game. Obviously we don’t want to get anybody hurt but the way to get ready for the regular season games is going out there and playing,” Rose added.
