After a junior season that saw him pick off five passes as a defensive back, conventional wisdom had Tristen Newsome returning to the secondary for North Side this fall.
But when Newsome debuted behind center for the Legends against Northridge last Friday, it was a surprise to some. After all, he hadn’t played the position since freshman year.
However, Coach Ben Johnson never forgot the potential he saw from Newsome three years ago. Needing to replace a quarterback entering this year, he turned to his dynamic defensive turnover maker to run the offense.
“Going in this year, as a staff we knew we needed a QB,” Johnson said. “Tristen got to play a little QB against Carroll last year and the two drives he had were both touchdown drives against a stingy defense.
“I spoke to (offensive coordinator Larry Davis) about Tristen playing QB and he liked that idea.”
The coaching staff broached the subject with Newsome in the offseason.
“There were no other options really coming into my senior year, so I had to step back into those shoes,” said Newsome about moving back to the position. “I had to do what’s best for my team to win on Fridays, because he knew about the QB struggles we had. When he asked, it was a no-brainer.”
Typically, it can take a player awhile to grow accustomed to the varsity game at quarterback. Newsome didn’t have that experience, but he did have hundreds of snaps on the other side attempting to read the eyes of quarterbacks and make plays on balls that were thrown his direction.
In a way, Newsome’s play at defensive back the last two years was a lesson in how to play quarterback.
“Tristen is a very smart player, he has a 3.2 GPA,” Johnson said. “I knew that I could trust Tristen to not only lead the offense, but lead the team.
The quarterback position, you need a guy that the kids believe in. The kid has to be fearless and handle the adversity. Tristen handles adversity very well. He never gets too high or too low.”
Newsome was prepared and ready to roll against Northridge. He threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 132 yards and two more touchdowns.
Over 335 yards of total offense in his first varsity start at quarterback? Not too bad.
“Leading up to (last week) I was already feeling good because our offense had been totally revamped with me taking snaps,” Newsome said. “In the game, everything started to click for not just me but the whole offense. The game was moving slower for me to make the right reads and to run through the right holes.”
It would have been easy and selfish for Newsome to say “No” to his coaches when asked to make the position switch. After all, at just 5-foot-7 his football future will likely be at defensive back if he pursues the sport in college.
But doing what’s best for the team took precedent.
“Ultimately, he is a great decision maker and that’s what you need from your quarterback,” Johnson said. “I am very proud of Tristen and love him being selfless for the team.”
And don’t worry, Newsome still gets his chances on defense to make plays.
“I still get on defense on obvious passing downs and two-minute drills,” Newsome said.
But winning comes first, regardless of where Newsome lines up.
“Most of the starters on offense are seniors, so they are hungry to have a great season to cap off their high school career,” Newsome said.
North Side will take on Lawrence North as they open newly-renovated Chambers Field on Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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