Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 1, 1990 TAG: 9004010163
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Not that the controversy is anything new; the Keydets went through the same thing last year.
It's a safe bet that when VMI opens its 1990 college football season against Catawba on Sept. 1, a quarterback named Tony will be leading the Keydets' attack. The question is whether it will be rising junior Tony Douglas or rising sophomore Tony Scales.
The two were almost interchangeable a year ago, with neither laying claim to the No. 1 job. Their performances Saturday in VMI's spring practice-ending Red-White game, won by the Red team 9-7, didn't do anything to simplify matters.
Statistically, Douglas, who rushed for 17 yards and completed three of five passes for 57 yards, had the better day. Scales lost yardage on the ground and completed just one pass, but it was a 45-yard completion to tight end Steve Roberts.
"As far as the mental approach to the game, I think Tony Douglas gets the edge," said Jim Shuck, VMI's coach. "But for big plays, Tony Scales has a little more ability to do that for us. Both of them still make mistakes.
"We need more consistency in our offense, that's why the spring game score was only 9-7. To be an effective option team, your quarterback has to be consistent."
Consistency was the main thing VMI lacked from its quarterbacks last season. Shuck's wishbone was new to them, and Scales and Douglas had trouble learning all of its intricacies.
Shuck went with the quarterback who was effective at the moment - be it game to game, quarter to quarter or play to play.
Last season, Douglas ran 164 plays and accumulated 618 yards of total offense. Scales had 138 plays for 586 total yards.
"Tony and I know that whoever is playing the best will be in the game," said Douglas, a 6-foot-1, 170-pounder from Zebulon, N.C. "If there's a difference between us, I think maybe I know the offense a little better, but maybe he's a better athlete.
"We have a saying that they might stop one of us, but there's another Tony coming."
Scales was noticeably disappointed after Saturday's scrimmage. He had just eight plays while sharing time running the White offense with Chris Witts.
"I don't think I had a good spring game," said Scales, who starred at Martinsville High. "I didn't get a real chance to show my talent and desire. I can be consistent, but I need repetitions.
" . . . I feel like there's more pressure now than last year. I'm not getting enough plays, so I'm trying to make every play a spectacular one. Right now, I'm in a season of frustration. I want to do so well, but I'm not getting it across to them.
"Football is supposed to be enjoyable, but it's losing it's enjoyment. I don't know; I'm just frustrated because my first spring game didn't go so well."
VMI offensive coordinator Craig Johnson, also responsible for the quarterbacks and receivers, said he understands Scales' frustration, but that doesn't mean he feels any urgency to choose a No. 1 quarterback.
"I personally don't like the concept of a true first-stringer or second-stringer," Johnson said. "That's because in my experience at other schools, if the guy designated first string gets hurt, the team tends to have a letdown.
"In our offense, you have to have two quarterbacks because of the potential for injury. I've told them [Douglas and Scales] that, competitively, I don't care which of them is in there. My only favorite, from a coaching standpoint, is the guy who can lead us into the end zone.
"I think they're very close. There's no need to name a No. 1. You don't do that until one shows an obvious large difference, and I don't see that now."
Wade Hawkins, who kicked for both teams, was 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts for the Red team. His winning kick was a 28-yarder with four seconds left. The field goal was set up by a 20-yard pass from quarterback Frank Wilder to tailback Scott Council.
\ Red 3303-9\ White 7000-7
W - Mines 65 run (Hawkins kick)
R - FG Hawkins 43
R - FG Hawkins 27
R - FG Hawkins 28\ INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - Red, Buck 6-14, Douglas 13-17, Council 4-3, Lunsford 8-21. White, Mines 6-80, Scales 5-(-7), Carter 14-34, Witts 5-17, Miller 1-2, Davis 1-1, Hamilton 1-3, Lough 1-3.
Passing - Red, Douglas 3-5-0-57, Wilder 5-7-0-70, Buck 1-1-0-31. White, Scales 1-4-0-45, Witts 0-3-0-0.
Receiving - Red, Council 2-61, Poff 2-37, Lyle 5-60. White, Roberts 1-45.
by CNB