As a quarterback, all one really asks for is that opportunity to take the ball and run with it - tossing in more than a few completions along the way.
Getting the call to start, right from that first snap from centre, is the confidence boost one desires.
Mark Black will be handed that chance when the Westshore Rebels take on six-time defending sa国际传媒 Football Conference champions, the Vancouver Island Raiders, on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bear Mountain Stadium in the team's season opener.
"Mark deserves that opportunity, but I do have confidence in both those young men that they're mature enough and talented enough that they will get there," said Rebels head coach John Cardilicchia, also making reference to backup Jesse Herman.
"It's been a battle at practice. They've both looked good and they both have stuff to work on," added Cardilicchia. "But it's Week 1 and neither one of them has started a season of football in a while, so it's going to take some time to get up to speed to where we need them to be."
In other words, patience will be a virtue for the Rebels' offence, which is a dangerous, run-oriented unit with Greg Morris and Niles Goguen in the backfield. But Black and Herman, and possibly even third-stringer Mike Dumesnil, will need to shine.
Herman, who joined the team from the University of Toronto, and Black sputtered through a 35-30 pre-season loss in Langley last weekend, but that was with a number of the Rebels' offensive line missing.
"To be honest, neither looked that great. Good in flashes, but not great, but you sort of expect that when you throw together a ham-and-egger in a hurry for a pre-season game," said Cardilicchia. "We had a lot of diferent guys playing on the offensive line.
We were missing a lot of people. The quarterbacks have sharpened up a lot over the last week, as well."
Dumesnil may have performed the best. Of course, he had the least pressure.
"Mike played well. He came in and marched us down the field, scored a touchdown and made a statement for himself," said Cardilicchia, who also has last year's starter, Cat Todorovich, around for insurance. Todorovich is expected to provide some spark at the receivers' position this season and could step up in a pinch.
But it will be Black at the helm and Herman waiting in the wings on Saturday.
"I told them both to be ready," said Cardilicchia. "We want to give our guys the opportunity to cut their teeth. To get into the game."
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