Bullfrogs, Redskins grooming quarterbacks for new season

By Jeremy D. Malamed

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Posted: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:38 AM CDT

Chris Pile, left, and Robbie Bragg, right, are competing for the starting quarterback job at Bret Harte. Enterprise photo by Jeremy D. Malamed

The Bret Harte and Calaveras high football teams both went into the off-season with the similar task of trying to replace an all-league quarterback, but only one will open fall camp in a few weeks with a clear-cut starter.

With the Sac-Joaquin Section’s fall sports dead period beginning today, the Bullfrogs and Redskins put the finishing touches on active offseasons by joining Galt for a seven-on-seven passing scrimmage Wednesday evening in San Andreas.

For new Calaveras coach Jason Weatherby, it was another opportunity to see incoming senior Nick Baatrup in action.

Baatrup, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, was a varsity backup last season and has been slated as the starter ever since two-time all-Mother Lode League quarterback Brooks Hulett completed his senior season last fall.

“We’ve kind of known Nick would be our guy for a while,” said Weatherby, who is replacing long-time coach Roger Canepa. “He puts the ball well on the mark and he’s got good touch and timing. He also sees the field real well and he’s tall enough to see over the line and spot receivers.”

For Bret Harte coach Scott Edwards, entering his third season with the Bullfrogs, Wednesday’s scrimmage offered more insight into the ongoing quarterback competition between incoming senior Chris Pile and incoming sophomore Robbie Bragg.

Pile, 6-foot-1 inch, 190 pounds, was the varsity backup last season, while Bragg, 6-foot-3 inch, 175 pounds, was the junior varsity starter as a freshman last fall.

The two are competing for the opportunity to replace two-time all-MLL quarterback and team leader T.J. Bradley, who threw for 1,647 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall.

“Whoever ends up with the job will have huge shoes to fill,” Edwards said. “T.J. was a league MVP-type player and a large reason for that was how the offense responded to him.

“Chris and Robbie both have physical strengths, but probably the main deciding factor will be how do the other 10 guys in the huddle respond to them and perform when they’re on the field. T.J. was such a competitor, the other guys in the huddle didn’t want to let him down.”

Since summer workouts and passing scrimmages are essentially non-contact, Edwards said he wants to see how the quarterbacks react once the team starts practicing with pads on before making a decision. He is even prepared to let the competition drag into the season if necessary.

“It’s just one of those things I need to let play out, even if it goes into the first two games,” Edwards said. “I don’t want to rush into a decision and have it be the wrong one.

“Throughout the summer, both guys have done a good job, but I want to see how they react once we get the pads one. Everyone’s composure changes once they’ve been smacked in the mouth.”

Pile brings athleticism and a strong arm to the competition, along with a lead-by-example work ethic.

Bragg, meanwhile, might not be as strong in the weight room or as fast on the clock as Pile, but Edwards likes his on-field demeanor, which is atypical of a sophomore.

“Robbie’s a kid with a lot of upside,” Edwards said. “He’s a natural leader and has yet to get rattled. We’ve had sophomores up that have started before, just not at the quarterback position. But Robbie didn’t have a problem at the JV level, stepping in and leading that group as a freshman. Physically, he’s not a sophomore anymore. He’s progressed far more than anyone else in his class.”

Edwards said both players have handled the competition well.

“They have a good relationship,” Edwards said. “Chris has done a good job of helping Robbie learn. They are competing against each other, yet encouraging each other too.”

Whichever player doesn’t win the starting quarterback job will see time at receiver, according to Edwards.

While Bret Harte is busy figuring out who will be running its offense this fall, Calaveras has used a lot of the offseason to focus on what it will be running.

“We’d like to throw the ball about 20 times a game this season,” Weatherby said. “Passing plays tend to stop the clock more, so that would give us more plays. We’d like to get about 60 plays a game, 40 run, 20 pass. We were at about 40 to 50 plays last year.”

Baatrup’s performance this summer has likely helped Weatherby feel good about his commitment to the passing game.

“(Nick’s) been doing well (this summer),” Weatherby said. “We’ve been putting in pass packages that we want to run all year. He’s been able to get reps against someone else’s defense and he’s been reading what he’s supposed to be on every play.

“He’s quiet, but he understands everything and he’s able to tell his teammates what to do. His confidence isn’t the highest, but as he progresses and has some success, that will progress.”

Weight training and conditioning are the only activities allowed during the dead period, which goes from today until the first day of fall sports practice on Aug. 18.

The 2008 season opens Friday, Sept. 12, with Bret Harte playing at Livingston and Calaveras playing at Weston Ranch.

Contact Jeremy D. Malamed at sports@calaverasenterprise.com

Comment (1 comment(s))

mike wrote on Jul 25, 2008 6:42 PM:

" CP !!!!!!! "

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