In football, as in the wild, veteran Klein Oak coach David Smith prefers to let nature take its course.
That's not to say Smith is OK with linemen gobbling up kickers. He just doesn't want to force anything or turn a blind eye to developing possibilities because they weren't in his predetermined plans.
As Smith says, don't try to change the river's path - go with the flow.
That's why, despite his intention to put Nicky Baratti back under center after his return from a concussion, Smith listened when Baratti came to him professing his willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
"Nicky's comments about being able to play anything he needed to play for us to win our games opened a window in my thinking, because Connor (McQueen) didn't have a great game against North Shore," Smith said.
"His stats weren't very good. But he is a leader, and I knew he'd get better."
Player of many talents
Smith also knew Baratti had the versatility to play anywhere. After all, he's verbally committed to Notre Dame as a safety.
So Smith hunkered down with his assistants during their week off and began debating the pros and cons.
The Klein Oak staff wanted to use more two-tight end formations against Klein Collins last week. Baratti can play tight end. The coaches wanted to draw attention away from wide receiver Tuff McClain. Baratti can play receiver.
At 1-2 going in, the Panthers also needed help in both backfields and the kicking game, and Baratti's capable of supplying it all.
But he couldn't do any of those things as the team's full-time quarterback, so Smith stayed with McQueen at quarterback, and Klein Oak ended up shocking Collins, then No. 1 in Class 5A, in triple overtime.
"It kind of just grew naturally by itself," Smith said.
While McQueen managed the offense, Baratti played tight end, receiver, running back, safety and punter in the Panthers' 34-28 victory - their first in four years over Collins, which came in with a 26-game regular-season winning streak.
Credit the game plan
"That was big," said McQueen, who completed 25 of 34 passes for 289 yards and one touchdown and scored the winning TD on a 13-yard run in the third OT. "We game-planned and came in early and stayed after school to watch film, and the coaches did a great job putting in a game plan and sticking with it throughout the whole week and the entire game.
"We went into that game more focused than we ever have been, knowing the magnitude of the game."
McQueen's grandfather is legendary Temple football coach Bob McQueen, and his dad, Mark McQueen, was a quarterback at Texas A&M.
Connor McQueen has primarily played quarterback from fourth grade through his sophomore season when he was the junior varsity starter, switching to receiver only last year because Baratti was the QB.
"He's been studying to be a quarterback all his life. He enjoys it, and he's really good," Smith said. "He has a passion about the game, and he kept that passion. But he and Nicky are really good friends, and when the opportunity came for Connor to step in, he took it."
Standing tall
Smith says they're similar quarterbacks.
Both have speed, though Baratti is a little faster over longer distances and more inclined to use his feet, and McQueen prefers to stay in the pocket, go through his progressions and make the reads.
The glaring difference is the four inches between the tops of their heads. Baratti is 6-2, McQueen 5-10.
That's why Smith's only advice to McQueen before the Collins game was to play like a giant.
"I told him before the game he was 6-foot-10 as far as I was concerned and that's the way he was going to play," Smith said. "When the game was over, he came up to me and said, 'Coach, 6-10.' "
Smith was coy about his plans for playing McQueen and Baratti going forward. If the Panthers open in a Wildcat, Baratti's the starter, Smith said. But it seems likely McQueen will remain the regular starter.
That's simply how this situation is evolving.
athlete. Just an all-around talented dude with crazy upside.
