Mitchell finally gets his chance

KILLEN - Alex Mitchell displayed what Brooks coach Jerry Hill considers one of the junior's best traits as he lay in waiting behind former starting quarterback Marcus Corbin.

After two years, Mitchell will make his first start as a varsity quarterback when Brooks hosts Lauderdale County in its season-opener today at 7 p.m. Hill said he expects to see more of the same patience from Mitchell on the field, the same kind that has the Brooks coach excited about Mitchell possibly exceeding the accomplishments of Corbin, the 2006 TimesDaily Class 4-6A player of the year who passed and rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.

Though Hill said he never complained about Corbin's ability to make big plays with his legs, he's banking a different approach from Mitchell.

"Marcus had what we coaches call happy feet," Hill said. "He'd get back there and if something wasn't open right then, he was gone. Alex is more of a true quarterback. He's got a little more patience in the pocket. He waits on things to develop. If it's not there, then he's going to run. He'll sit in there and give his receivers more time for their routes to develop."

Hill said he considers a good high school quarterback as one who can check down to his second option. With Mitchell's poise in the pocket, the Lions have been able to check down to the third or fourth options, which comes as a welcomed change for Brooks' six leading wide outs looking to fill the void left by departed 1,000-yard receiver Kyle Mitchell.

"It's nice to be able to run through a route and find some grass," junior wide receiver Benton Maxwell said jokingly.

Familiarity with his receivers also plays to Mitchell's favor. As fellow juniors, all of Brooks' leading receivers - Maxwell, Matthew Scott, Austin Hill, Tray Acklin, Cody Frost and Marcellus Smith - share a bond with their quarterback.

Maxwell and Hill have played football with Mitchell since their pee-wee days. Mitchell threw to most of the receivers as a two-year starter for the Brooks B-team, with which he never lost a game.

"He's really developed the last year and a half," Hill said. "Last year, we weren't hesitant at all to put him in at quarterback when we had too, in big games, too."

Mitchell broke into the starting lineup as a defensive back against Haleyville, the third game of last season, but he cut his teeth as a varsity quarterback a game earlier in a loss to Deshler, when he threw a touchdown pass in his only attempt. Mitchell also took snaps in a second-round playoff win against St. Clair County.

Hill hopes such big-game experience will make for a smooth transition for Mitchell into the starting role. Mitchell said he would attribute any immediate success to his predecessor.

"I learned everything from Marcus," Mitchell said. "The main reason I'm as OK as I am is because of Marcus."

One might even catch an inspired scamper from the pocket passer.

"That's actually a bad trait I learned from Marcus," Mitchell said with a smile. "I should just throw the ball away, really. I shouldn't try to make plays like him. I want to be him and more, but it's hard to live up to Marcus."

Bryan App can be reached at 740-5730 or bryan.app@timesdaily.com.