MT. JULIET Tyler Thompson rolled out to his right and found Jett Frost near the sideline for a first down early Thursday morning at Mt. Juliet Christian Academy’s 7-on-7 tournament.
A simple play, perhaps, but even in a 7-on-7 competition, the Station Camp High senior quarterback knew that it was the next step to being back in the saddle as the Bison’s starting signal-caller.
Thompson returns for his senior season after missing last year’s final four games with a knee injury. Without Thompson, the Bison were 1-3 in the final stretch, finishing 4-6 overall and missing the Class 5A playoffs.
“I’m really excited to get back,” Thompson said. “It killed me to miss the end of last season, so it’s good to be back.”
It was the second consecutive season that Station Camp finished the season with a backup quarterback under center. Ironically, Thompson filled in for starter Kyle Anderton for the final two games of the 2014 season. Junior Cole Spears drew the majority of work in Thompson’s absence last year.
“We’ve got to keep (Thompson) healthy,” Station Camp head coach Shaun Hollinsworth said. “We have to stay healthy as a team. That hasn’t happened the last two years, and when you’re in high school, it’s tough to overcome that.”
Thompson will have a pair of big targets on the outside, as Frost – a 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior – and 6-foot-3, 205-pound junior Devin Thompson are expected to contribute at wide receiver, along with 5-foot-10, 165-pound senior Marcus DeVault.
“They’re out there making plays,” Tyler Thompson said. “They’re making me look good.”
Having improved overall team health and better chemistry will be key to allowing the Bison offense to achieve more balance.
“I feel like we’ll be able to throw the ball with some efficiency,” Hollinsworth said. “Provided that our line can give us time, we’ve got guys that can catch the ball and make plays. We’ve just got to put it all together.”
The Bison went 4-0 in the 7-on-7 competition, defeating Fort Campbell (Ky.), Lipscomb Academy, Mt. Juliet Christian Academy and Clarksville Academy before storms forced the rest of the tournament to be cancelled.
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.
Station Camp High senior Tyler Thompson returns at quarterback for the Bison after missing the final four games of last season with a knee injury.