Chelsea High School Football record through week 8: 17-7 (1-2 week 8; 15-6 SEC).
Near the end of last week’s victory over Dexter, it seemed Adams, the backup quarterback forced into the starting role, grew comfortable in the job and would be able to lead the offense into the playoffs. This was a good sign for the team.
Well, that’s not quite true anymore. Soon after the Dexter game, Adams was sidelined, too. So, with only two weeks left in the season, the Bulldogs were left with their top receiver, Schwarze, taking snaps. That’s right, the player best able to catch the ball was forced to throw the ball as the quarterback, a position he hadn’t played since middle school.
On top of that, to have a backup on the roster, the varsity pulled up the JV’s starting quarterback — except the JV’s first starting quarterback had sustained an injury in a previous game. The varsity’s move to keep two quarterbacks on its roster took the JV down to its third quarterback.
So, to recap, the varsity lost two quarterbacks to injury and has its top receiver under center as its third starting quarterback, while the JV lost one quarterback to injury and another to the varsity, thus leaving them on their third quarterback.
Oh, and one other injury note: in the second quarter of this week’s game, the varsity’s starting center left the game with a season-ending injury. So now it’s the second center snapping to the third quarterback. The Bulldogs are becoming a mathematical equation!
Got it? Okay, then, let’s get to the games.
The freshmen lost a close game; at the end of the third quarter they trailed by only one point.  The JV had a miserable first half, but they staged a comeback in the second half. Really, just the fourth quarter. A late fumble ended the comeback bid, but considering the disastrous start — 14-0 before snapping the ball once on offense — and the third starting quarterback this season, it was a fine effort.
As detailed above, the varsity also entered the Pioneer game with two quarterbacks in street clothes. The game was a bit of a nailbiter; both teams scored on their opening drives, and then the defenses took over. But Chelsea managed to score 20 points, and Pioneer managed to commit too many turnovers; Pioneer failed to finish a late drive, and Chelsea claimed a six-point victory.
In his first game as quarterback, Schwarze contributed an admirable performance.  Many of his passes were accurate, and his presence in the pocket was far better than adequate. And his athletic ability — think small-town Steve Breaston – allowed him scramble for substantial yardage when he was in trouble.
Taking a top receiver out of the defensive backfield hurts, but as he becomes more comfortable in his new position, the offense should be just fine. It may be a different offense from the one that started the year under Seelbach’s leadership, but it should be fine. Even with its third quarterback and second center in the middle of it.