Cousins takes over as QB for Pioneers

— Jarod Cousins doesn’t shy away from a challenge. He welcomes it.

“I like the pressure that’s on the quarterback,” Cousins said. “I’ve tried it, and finally I get to attempt to be a quarterback. We’ve talked about it, but we always had somebody else to play it.”

Gentry football coach Brian Little said the 6-foot, 177-pound junior has a self confidence that borders on cockiness.

“We’ve known for a while he’s the kind of kid that wants the ball in his hands,” Little said. “As a sophomore he could have been too cocky, but that was just immaturity.”

Little has watched Cousins mature over the past year and understand his role.

Cousins was the Pioneers’ top receiver a year ago with 26 catches for 456 yards and six touchdowns. He also played running back as a freshman. But Little liked the athleticism Cousins brought to the quarterback position in his system, so he moved under center in the spring.

Little said Cousins’ confidence is a good thing for a quarterback to have.

“The quarterback is the one person on the team that at the end of the game he’ll get all the glory or all the negative,” Little said. “Right or wrong, that’s the nature of the position.

“That’s added responsibility. Some kids are quite capable athletically, but don’t want that pressure mentally. He’s not one of those.”

Little admitted it’s exciting to watch Cousins make progress.

“He can run it, throw it and he’s smart in the classroom,” Little said. “He has leadership qualities and his performance causes others to follow his lead.”

Cousins said he’s worked hard to learn the quarterback position during the spring and summer.

“I really liked it,” Cousins said. “We just got a lot of reps. The receivers have stayed after practice and we’ve worked extra. I feel confident now inthe passing game. At the beginning, it was pretty tough. But over the weeks, it’s getting easier.”

Cousins said he leaned on teammate Tucker Willett to give him some help at his new position. Willett, who starts at linebacker for the Pioneers, played quarterback in junior high.

“He helps me out a lot, gives me pointers,” Cousins said.

Winning just one game a year ago, Cousins said his team is prepared to surprise some opponents this season.

“I think if we can keep people healthy, we can be pretty good,” Cousins said. “Everyone is playing both ways, so if we get in shape, we’ll be all right.”

News, Pages 11 on 09/05/2012