CALM IN THE STORM

Former Thibodaux High QB gets a start at NSU

By MATT LeBLANC

One of the top traits a quarterback can have, on any level, is calmness. The ability to keep his team at an even keel, not allowing them to get too high or too low. The ability to keep the ups and down of a football game in perspective, and move on to the next play.

Pair calmness with confidence, and you have an ideal starting point for a successful quarterback.

Combine those traits with a history of success, and you are likely to have the type of quarterback most coaches want to lead their team.

Those are just a few of the traits that Nicholls State University football coach Jay Thomas saw in freshman quarterback Zach Chauvin. Those are also traits that convinced Thomas that Chauvin was ready to play in his freshman season two weeks ago against the Southland Conference’s No. 1 defense in Northwestern State.

“I didn’t realize they were the No. 1 defense,” Chauvin later said.

And that is the ideal attitude of a quarterback. A player that can block out the extracurricular statistics and focus on the task at hand. “I just went in, and I just had to do my job,” he added. “I knew if I’d do my job, everyone else would do theirs. That’s what I tried to do. Just focus on what I had to do.”

Chauvin entered the game as the team’s No. 2 quarterback because of a shoulder injury to Vince Montgomery. Chauvin entered the game with 3:21 left in the third quarter, and while his statistics were nothing to write home about — a modest 34-yards rushing and a 3-for-7 passing performance that included a late interception in 18 minutes of action — it was obvious that the freshman from Thibodaux High had an effect on his team.

“It was very evident that when he came on the field, it bought us a certain degree of calmness,” explained Thomas. “I thought it was a very good performance for a true freshman to come on the field.”

On Chauvin’s first drive, the Colonels drove 35 yards before running back Cal Jones fumbled away the possession. Keying the drive was a 27-yard run by Chauvin on a pass play.

“It didn’t turn out right,” said Chauvin. “We didn’t get the win. I felt I did a decent job, but I made some mistakes, and I’ve been trying to fix those mistakes in practice.”

However, Chauvin’s first start this past weekend against Assumption College did turn out right. On the Colonels’ first play from scrimmage, Chauvin ran for 49 yards, setting up a Nicholls’ touchdown.

He finished the day with 90 yards rushing and 4-for-7 passing for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

Still, Thomas was pleased with Chauvin’s performance against Northwestern St. “He brought some calmness to us,” the coach explained. “And he was very confident in what he did.”

Perhaps that confidence stems from Chauvin’s practice habits. After a practice last week, Chauvin and fellow quarterback Chris Bunch stayed on the field after the workout and threw the ball with each other.

“That’s what you look for in guys,” said Thomas. “That’s why you recruit them and you bring them here — because they want to be successful.

“On the sideline, I’ve heard him when the plays are being run. He’s calling the play out. He’s calling the dive, pitch keys out. He got an opportunity to play, and when I talked to him after the game he said, ‘Coach, it’s just like practice.’”

Chauvin added, “The reads and all, it looked just like practice. You see it in practice, and if you practice it right, you’re going to do it right in the game.”

The freshman quarterback’s work ethic is a top contributor to his history of success. In 2004, he led Thibodaux High to its first playoff appearance since the early-1990s. The Tigers returned to the playoffs last year, in Chauvin’s senior season.

Chauvin also played baseball at Thibodaux High and contributed to their appearance in last year’s state tournament.

“He knows about pressure,” said Thomas. “He had a great career at Thibodaux High, and coach (Lenny) Ford really did a good job with him.

“What sold me on Zach — I got to see him in a spring game. It was the way he commanded the offense, and the respect the other players had for him. The way the coaches talked about him, he was like another coach on the field for them. I saw him run the option play in the spring game, and he ran for like 65 yards and broke three tackles.”

Chauvin added that his experience of winning at Thibodaux will only pay off in the long run. “Coming from winning, you know how to win,” he said. “Once you know how to win, you can transfer that wherever you go. I know what it takes to win in high school. We’ve won two games this year, and we know what it takes to win a game. But we’ve got to be able to do that on a week-to-week basis.

“We know how to win here. We’re just going through some problems right now, turning the ball over on offense. When we get that fixed, we’ll be all right. We’ll get back to winning again.”

Judging by his career, there are not many reasons to doubt Chauvin’s statement.

“He’s got a lot of self-confidence,” said Thomas. “Quarterbacks always have a swagger about them. They’ve got a certain degree of confidence, and that’s what Zach bring to the table. The more time he gets, the better he’ll get.”

Matt LeBlanc can be reached at (985) 876-3008 or matt@tri-parishtimes.com.

Nicholls quarterback #12 Zack Chauvin looks to throw in the first half against Assumption College during Saturday’s game in Thibodaux. Photo by Doug Keese/Nicholls State University

Doug Keese