Most teams try their hardest to not let their quarterbacks get hit.
Elmore County needs theirs to do the hitting.
When Elmore County takes the field on Aug. 23 at Dadeville, senior Caleb Spivey will be seen on both sides of the ball. He will be directing the Panthers on offense at quarterback then he will turn around and cause mayhem as one of the team’s top returning defensive lineman.
It’s a combination of roles most quarterbacks do not play. On defense, quarterbacks will usually play in the secondary, if at all. Coaches don’t want their offensive leader hitting multiple players every single play.
But Spivey is too good to not use on the defensive line.
“Caleb is such a special player that we can’t take him off the field,” Elmore County coach Kyle Caldwell said. “He causes so much havoc and pressure. Teams run away from him and scheme for him. If you take him out of the game, it’s a whole new ballgame on defense. We’re creating some packages to keep him healthy and able to throw the ball for us. He knows our offense so we’re being careful with him early.”
Spivey was one of the county’s best at getting into opposing backfields last year. He recorded 42 tackles, while a team-high 13 of those were tackles for loss. He was also third on the team in sacks with five.
That came with playing in only seven games while everyone else played in 11.
He played quarterback minimally last season. He didn’t attempt any passes, but he was used in wildcat and goal-line situations and scored three touchdowns on 14 carries.
He has enjoyed playing both roles, and looks forward to the expanded role this year.
“It’s really, really fun doing both,” Spivey said. “It’s nice to go on defense and not have to know so much like you do at quarterback. I can just go out there and play hard and do my job. It also helps me play quarterback because I know what’s going on and can use that to know what’s coming at me.”
Spivey won’t be the only quarterback on the field for Elmore County this year. The Panthers are working through two quarterbacks with Gage Davis also taking snaps. There has not been a starter named yet, and both will likely take snaps throughout the year — especially with Spivey playing both ways.
Both players have accepted that role, and Spivey knows what the offense will be about this year. Elmore County lost all five offensive linemen and every starter at receiver. Their top skill player is Parker Hobbs, who rushed for 226 yards and one touchdown last year.
Eli Thames has transferred in from Wetumpka to also play running back, so the team will be establishing the run early in the year.
“We’re going to rely a little more on our run game this year,” Spivey said. “I can run it, and Parker and Eli can both run. We also have Rashaun (Floyd) who transferred in. I think our offense will be a lot the same, but it will be more ground and pound.”
