Pass-happy Independence Eagles hope two quarterbacks work better than one

Quarterback Ethan Cash did all that was asked of him last season at Summit.

He simply wasn’t asked to do enough for the run-first Spartans.  

“Summit is a great school, it just wasn’t a great for me you know,” said Cash, who attempted just 42 passes for last year's Class 5A quarterfinalist Spartans. "It’s a good program, but overall I just feel like Independence is a better place for me.”

If it’s his arm Cash wants to show off, the junior transfer chose the right place, as the Eagles have featured a 2,000-yard passer in each of the last six seasons. And while he won’t be the only quarterback on campus — Independence also welcomes back returning starter and senior Idaho commitment Nathan Cisco — the Eagles were more than happy to welcome the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder into the fold.

“I choose to look at the positives of it,” Independence coach Scott Blade said. “We not only have two guys that can do the job, now we get to send one off in the right direction (Cisco) and keep grooming another to step right in the following year (Cash).”

“It’s actually awesome,” added Cisco, a 6-4, 200-pounder who threw for 2,280 yards with 15 touchdowns and 19 interceptions a season ago. “Me and Ethan have developed a great relationship. The better I make him, the better I make myself, and the more I push him, the more he pushes me. I don't want him to get past me, and he doesn't want me to pass him."

They have alternated throughout Indy’s 7-on-7 outings. There has been plenty of competition, but don’t expect the Eagles’ quarterback race to have a winner and a loser.

In order for Independence to win, both will be lining up behind center this fall.

“We’re going to alternate,” Blade said. “They both have different strengths, different things they bring to the table, and they can both lead the team. They both have big arms, but Ethan has a bigger body. He has a background running the ball, he’s physical and we like to run the quarterback.”

Dandy Dozen:Independence receiver T.J. Sheffield learning tough recruiting lessons

Keeping defenses guessing, however, is just one of the reasons Blade is keeping both in the game plan. He also wants to be able to avoid any sort of snowball effect in case things turn south.

“The biggest thing is it takes the pressure off a high school kid,” Blade said. “If there is not a comparable backup and things start to go sideways on you, there really aren’t a lot of answers. We feel like we’ve got answers. We feel like we’ve got two capable starting quarterbacks, and we feel our offensive line is much improved.

“It’ll be a little different flavor from what you’ve seen in the past, but this is a fun group.”

The Eagles, who made consecutive trips to the Class 5A BlueCross Bowl in 2015 and 2016, are coming off a 6-6 season. 

Reach Michael Murphy at mfmurphy@tennessean.com, 615-259-8026, and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.