43
Western Reserve QB has become his team’s leader
BERLIN CENTER
Among the highest compliments a quarterback can receive is the complete trust of his coaches and teammates.
The ability to get the play call from the sideline, walk to the line of scrimmage, read the defense and change the play as he sees fit.
Think of the NFL’s Peyton Manning or Drew Brees. They’re the captains of their teams, but more importantly they’re the captains of their offenses.
So when Western Reserve coach Andy Hake says quarterback Nick Allison “does a lot of checking and calling plays at the line,” that says a lot about the confidence he has in his senior quarterback.
“He’s our leader — the guy has a lot of ability,” Hake said of Allison. “I let him make checks when he has to make checks and he’s the team leader — he’s the captain — so we run with him.”
Hake’s decision wasn’t made overnight, though, as Allison worked for a number of years to earn his coach’s trust.
It began during the 2012 season, Allison’s first year as a varsity starter. He stands 6-foot-5 and a shade under 200 pounds — the ideal build for a quarterback. The Blue Devils were coming off a state semifinal appearance, their first in school history, and Hake was in his fourth season as head coach. He was beginning to see signs of the program he was building paying off in wins and losses.
Allison showed glimpses of what he could do, but he hadn’t been able to put it all together yet. Hake felt like that was the perfect opportunity to loosen the reins on his quarterback.
“I think when the season started [Allison] checked with me a lot,” Hake said. “But as the season went on he made a lot of calls. You know, the players play the games so he should make the calls and he’s been great at it.”
The Blue Devils finished 9-3, but made a second-round exit from the Division VI playoffs. This year, Allison’s responsibilities and production have increased greatly and his teammates have taken notice.
“Nick’s a smart guy — when he sees something he checks it,” said running back Dan Zilke. “He’s progressed a lot from his junior year, when he threw some interceptions (seven), to now this year (three) so I mean that’s a big part of limiting turnovers and running a successful offense.”
Zilke says Allison’s demeanor in the huddle is one of a calm confidence — something that shouldn’t be overlooked.
“He’s pretty calm, but when someone messes up he’s on them,” Zilke said. “He leads by example so when someone messes up he wants it to be perfect.”
Allison’s desire for perfection has resulted in more than 2,200 passing yards and a perfect 13-0 record for Western Reserve. The Blue Devils put their perfection on the line Saturday night against Glouster Trimble in St. Clairsville.