With the score tied at 14 and just 20 seconds remaining in Washington-Lee’s football game against McLean last Friday night, Generals coach Josh Shapiro drew up two plays for quarterback Charlie Fuller, who was playing his first career game under center.
One play called for a quarterback draw, the other, a run featuring tailback Keith Johnson. But Shapiro decided the quarterback draw was too risky, and decided to run Johnson up the middle. That is, until his new signal caller showed the moxie and confidence unbecoming of someone who just three hours earlier had never even thrown a pass outside of pick up games with friends.
“I told the coach, I was like ‘Spread the defense out because they are gonna guard every receiver and it’s going to leave it open for me down the middle,’ Fuller said of his game-winning 10-yard touchdown run that gave Washington-Lee a 21-14 victory over McLean. “So I saw the middle, saw a lot of green, and took it in.”
The win evened Washington-Lee’s record at 2-2, the team’s best start since 2003.
Up until Friday’s game against the Highlanders, Fuller had played almost exclusively at running back on offense this season, but Shapiro decided early last week to unleash his most athletic player from behind center to kick start the Generals.
The move paid off in a big way as Fuller displayed his usual fleetness on the ground, carrying the ball 24 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns, while also showing off better than advertised accuracy from the pocket. Fuller completed eight of his 16 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. The scoring throw, a 30-yard strike to Will Horsely, was particularly impressive and gave the Generals a 14-7 lead in the third quarter.
“I think a lot of people were like well, we’ll crowd the box,” Shapiro said afterwards. “Well, go ahead because he can throw it. He is a great athlete and very versatile. On a high school level, to compare him to someone, he reminds a lot of an elusive Donovan McNabb. He’s fun to watch. He makes plays.”
Fuller also chipped in on defense, intercepting a pass as a safety on McLean’s first possession of the game. But he admitted the pick on defense did nothing to sway the pregame jitters he had about throwing too many interceptions of his own.
“I was nervous,” Fuller said. “Not all week, just tonight coming into the game. … The team needed me so I did what the team needed.”
Taking the place of Fuller at running back was senior Keith Johnson, who finished the game with 61 yards rushing. Leading McLean was junior Riley Beiro, who rushed for 137 yards and had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown.
But nobody could outshine Fuller on this night. All season, Shapiro had a package involving his star player at quarterback, and had yet to use it in the regular season. But with his team reeling after two straight losses, the coach tried something new.
One victory later, it looks like the experiment will become a fixture in weeks to come.
“We don’t have any plans for anyone else (at quarterback),” Shapiro said. “That’s his spot. Teams are going to have to game plan because he’s tough, he’s versatile.”