So who are the QBs of the future?
Earlier in the season I wrote a story about the youthful NCFA QB's. At this point in the season it's time to start assessing their accomplishments.
Charlotte - Royce Scott - 3rd year
Scott has not lived up to expectations this year. He's the lowest rated starter in the league and has managed only 1TD pass all season. Where he looked poised last season he has looked panicky this season, unsure of himself and struggling to find any rhythm. Benched in week 9 so that the coaching staff could asess Bob Martin's future with the team Scott has lost the starting job for an indefinite time. He will have to show some spark in training camps next season to get his starting roll back. He will not only be competing with veteran Kurt Nelson, if he doesn't retire, again next year for his starting job, but newly acquired Jason Fisher as well. It may be that Scott needs more time to mature, but that means sitting on the bench for now and waiting for his chance to prove what he can do at another time.
Asheville - Erik Waters - 5th year
Water has continued to impress and has Asheville on the verge of another playoff birth. He is one of the highest rated QBs in the league after 9 weeks of the season and has shown tremendous maturity and talent this season. One thing that Waters has show that all coaches like to see is consistency. From one week to the next you can expect Waters to come out and not make mistakes. He has also shown more arm strength this year and confidence to go downfield. At his age Waters should be a starter in this league for a while, and as long as he keeps taking Asheville to the playoffs he will probably be with the Tourists.
Gastonia - Darrell Sparks and Harold Brooks - 6th year
Brooks got his chance when Sparks didn't impress early in the season. But Brooks showed no ability to put up numbers on a team that cannot run to save itself. Sparks though he's erratic can get the ball downfield and make something happen. Brooks may be a better fit on a team that has some run support, but on this team he will not be a starter. Sparks though has not insured his job with Gastonia throwing too many interceptions and being too streaky with his play. The book is still open on these two guys and they may find themselves struggling to play in the league.
Burlington - Thaddeus Schlotter - 6th year
What can you say about what Schlotter has done. He's by far the best QB in the league this season with 30 TDs to 5 Ints through 9 games. The only question remaining with Schlotter is how many championships will he win and how many records will he break. Not that the Bees fans have forgotten Van Egger, but Thaddeus has gone a long ways toward making that happen.
Greensboro - Bradford Kokotan - 5th year
Kokotan lost his starting job and didn't get it back until week 9. He looked much better in this game than he had earlier in the season and maybe the time on the bench helped him to learn what he needs to do. The coaches in Greensboro believe in him and he should be their starter next season.
Wilson - Derrick Smith - 4th year
Smith continues to wow his coaches, opponents, and fans with is abilities. He is by far the most erratic QB in the league but lucky for Wilson his play is more on than off, and when he's on he's the best in the game. In a year when Wilson's defense and running game are struggling he has had more pressure to produce than in the past and he has lived up to that pressure putting them into the division lead going into week 10.
Kinston - Marion Sorenson - 5th year
Perhaps Sorenson has been the biggest revelation of the season. He has struggled a little in the second half of the season, but in the 1st half he was the 2nd best QB in the league. The one thing that Sorenson has that many QBs don't is his smart play. He doesn't panic, he makes good reads, he's tough, everything you want in a starting QB. At one point Sorenson and Sparks were fighting out the job in Salisbury. Now they are both on different teams and Sorenson is proving himself to be the better QB.
