Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, Grenada High School Head Football Coach Ashley Kuhn had a message to his players after closing the season with a 14-10 home loss to Starkville.
He talked about the offseason program and made a promise to his players. The coaching staff would make every effort in the world to improve their play at the quarterback position. Inconsistent play there was largely the reason the Chargers finished last year at 5-6.
“We went into the offseason as quarterback play being one of our biggest concerns,” Kuhn said. “It was one of our most inconsistent areas that turned out to be the difference in a couple of games last season.”
Kuhn and his staff are sending players through workouts a total of three days a week followed by individual drills and conditioning. They have played 7-on-7 games with Winona, Lafayette, South Panola, Eupora and Hernando. The Chargers also took part in the Mississippi State 7-on-7 tournament.
Senior Jaylon Skinner seems to be the clear favorite to be the No. 1 quarterback. At 6-foot, 210 pounds, Skinner took over the quarterbacking duties in the Class 6A, Region 2 opener at Tupelo, before being lost for the season due to an injury. The injury forced the GHS coaches to go quarterback by committee. Grenada struggled to throw the football the remainder of the season losing five games at a row to close out the schedule. He was just 6-of-15 for 71 yards and a touchdown in 2021.
“We can’t get in that position ever again,” Grenada offensive coordinator Justin Purvis said. “That falls on me to make sure we have someone else ready to go. You can’t depend on one player. That won’t happen again.”
At this point, Purvis said that defensive back Jekerious Williams (5-foot-10, 185-pound, junior) has emerged as a possible backup quarterback to Skinner. Williams was a starter in the secondary for the Chargers in 2021. Sophomore Holt Gober, who is expected be used primarily as the junior varsity quarterback, is the future at the position.
“Jekerious is an outstanding athlete, who can throw the football some,” Purvis said. “He’s been in a lot of big games before.”
The Chargers have spent a lot of time on the passing game so far this summer.
“We have spent more time on this area than any other time in the past,” he said. “We have played a lot of 7-on-7 games and there have been some bright spots. With a month left to go, there are still a lot of questions to be answered.”
Kuhn, who begins his 12th season at the helm, hasn’t been pleased with his team’s willingness to show up for workouts this summer.
“Attendance hasn’t been up to our standards,” he said. “I pretty much see everybody, just not as often as I want. We are averaging probably 70 high school players out of 85 with another 20 or so ninth graders.”
The kicking game is another concern for Grenada. They are looking for a replacement for the graduated Jacob Chavis, who was a three-year starter.
Grenada starts practice on the first day of school, which will be Aug. 5. The Chargers open the 2022 season on Aug. 26 with a trip to Horn Lake. Week 2 will be the home opener against Pontotoc High School on Sept. 2.
