Back out in front

Nature Coast QB Stephen Pelaez was poised to be the varsity starter when an injury changed his plans. Now he gets another shot.

By Izzy Gould
Published August 29, 2007

BROOKSVILLE

The lights faded and a projector quickly lit up the room. ¶ This Nature Coast classroom was full of groggy-eyed football players, already dragging after a long day full of math problems and science labs. They shifted in their seats and prepared for about an hour of scout film on first-week opponent Dunnellon. ¶ This was a constant battle with tired eyes.

Sharks quarterback Stephen Pelaez grabbed a spot on the floor in the front row. He laid down and focused sharply on a huge film screen where the guys in black uniforms unleashed a constant blitz on Gainesville's quarterback. This film session is one more chance for Pelaez, a senior and first-year starter behind center, to improve. He noted the base 4-3 defense and how the linebacker edges closer to the line when he wants to rush the quarterback.

When Pelaez heard Dunnellon was on the schedule, he knew the name was familiar. Then he thought back to his freshman year.

Dunnellon was the game that threw him off course.

Pelaez still recalls the play that resulted in a two-year detour. He calls it "I left," an option play he ran to the left side. He was a promising quarterback with his eyes on competing for the varsity job as a sophomore. He would have had a shot with the exit of Billy Hughes. But Pelaez ended up on another path.

"I left" took Pelaez into a couple of Dunnellon tacklers, who brought him to the ground. A few more defenders piled on, and Pelaez heard a snap. He screamed and screamed from the bottom of the pile, his left collarbone cleanly broken.

His season was over.

"If he Pelaez didn't get hurt he could have competed for the varsity job," Sharks coach Jamie Joyner said. "He got hurt, and that kind of delayed him a bit."

When Pelaez returned to play his sophomore season he was promoted to varsity, but as an outside linebacker.

"It was pretty tough because I wanted to show Coach what I could do," Pelaez said. "I wanted a shot at the (varsity) job."

Any questions about the collarbone went away with his first jarring tackle at a preseason camp.

"For a couple plays I didn't go on my left side," Pelaez said. "I was afraid."

Soon he forgot about the shoulder entirely.

Pelaez played two varsity seasons, filling in anywhere he could. Sometimes it was offense, sometimes defense. And quarterback Josh Ortiz held down the position for two seasons before graduating.

"Stephen's always been there," Joyner said. "He's always competed like he wanted to be the starter. That's really going to serve himself and the team this year."

Pelaez knew he was next in line for the starting job. He got a few snaps as a junior and focused his efforts on preparing for the spring.

When he was officially tabbed the starter he did what he could to mesh with the offense. He threw passes to receivers after practice and talked to the linemen every chance he could.

Four-year starter Tim LaRose said the line, which consists of three new starters, has confidence in its quarterback. LaRose said the comparisons to Ortiz are obvious. Both throw the ball well, but Pelaez is a harder runner where Ortiz had more speed.

"(Stephen's) going to run the option real well," LaRose said. "He's really developed throwing the ball. I'm real confident with our quarterback.

"He might be better than Josh Ortiz."

Izzy Gould can be reached at izzygould@gmail.com or (727) 580-5315.

[Last modified August 29, 2007, 01:05:19]