South County Secondary School varsity football Head Coach Pete Bendorf doesn't have a single go-to quarterback.
Instead, he unleashes a quarterback duo, each with his own skill set, to keep defenses honest when facing the Stallions.
Junior Evan Beal, a 6-foot-4 pocket passer uses his accurate passing arm to hit downfield targets, while senior Aaron Andrews, a 5-foot-7' scrambler, has enough speed to burn around opposing defenses.
Together, the two helped lead the Stallions to a 28-16 victory against West Springfield High School during the team's Homecoming game on Oct. 9.
Bendorf used to rely solely on Andrews as a starter, but Beal caught his eye with standout play during an injury to Andrews.
"[Andrews] has been the starter for the past three years, but Evan is playing really well," Bendorf said. "[Andrews] was out the past two weeks [with a sprained knee] and we just got him back."
Bendorf also said he didn't mind having two quarterbacks who provide different offensive styles.
"Both quarterbacks give me a different element," Bendorf said. "Andrews is a dual threat because he can run and pass. Beal can throw the heck out of the football and he can manage the game well. It's nice to have a change of pace on offensive."
The quarterbacks split time by sharing alternating drives or stepping in when Bendorf needs to use their expertise.
It’s not uncommon to see Andrews handle two consecutive drives before giving way to Beal's arm on the next two drives.
While some quarterbacks cite the need to find a rhythm during the game and might find it frustrating to sit out a drive or two, Beal said he enjoys working in tandem with Andrews.
"It's really good to have both of us in there," Beal said.
"Having that dual threat is just awesome."
Andrews, the senior, said he didn't mind giving way to his junior counterpart during games.
"It's working great because if I get winded [from running], Beal can come in and work his way," Andrews said. "We have our own ways of running the offense, but they both work. They coincide with each other. It's perfect."
While the dual quarterback system is meant to confuse opposing defenses, Beal said his own offense is comfortable now with the system.
"[The chemistry] was just there," Beal said. "The offensive line knows that I'm not going to be running around for my life. I'm going to try and throw the ball and just get it to the receivers."
Andrews said that it took time to for the team to fully grasp the concept and embrace the strange quarterbacking setup.
"It took time," Andrews said. "We practiced it during the preseason. "It took some getting adjusting and then we got the hang of it. It's been working fine so far."
Although Beal and Andrews played a large role in the Stallions' victory, it wasn't the most productive day for the two. Beal completed five of 13 passes for 46 passing yards; Andrews completed two of five passes for 31 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Michael Vane.
The Homecoming win against the rival West Springfield team improved the Stallions' record to 5-1.
"It's a great win and a great rivalry," Bendorf said. "We battle with them all the time. You can see there is friendship there but it gets heated."
South County continues its season against Patriot District opponent Lake Braddock Secondary School (4-3) on