HF-L center switches to QB and leads his team to win: 'I’ll remember every single play'

Carson Joint knew the situation, but he had no idea it would provide the memory of a lifetime.

It was Wednesday afternoon as he prepared for football practice at Honeoye Falls-Lima. And as he walked past the film room to head out to the field, he was called in by coach John Russ.

“Do you want to play quarterback tomorrow night,” he was asked.

“I said yeah, I’ll give it a go,” said Joint.

And just like that, the three-year starter at center was now under center. The senior guided the Cougars to a 28-7 road win over Wayland-Cohocton/Dansville that snapped a two-game skid for his team that finished the regular season with a 6-2 record.

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With injuries to starting QB Matthew Meacham and receiver Andrew Wanzenried, the HF-L staff was sorting out the situation. Typically, the HF-L backup QB is playing junior varsity ball but the JVs played on Monday. So with the varsity scheduled for Thursday this week, that meant the mandatory four-day rest qualification could not be met.

So Russ and his staff turned to Joint, whose brother Reece was a two-year starter at QB for HF-L before graduating in 2021.

“We’d seen him throwing the ball around at practice and he’s got a good ball,” said Russ. “And he’s the starting catcher for the baseball team.”

So Joint got his first QB reps at Wednesday’s practice and yes, there was an adjustment period.

“It felt like I was playing a completely different sport,” he said.

He said it started to sink in just before the national anthem played before Thursday’s game and that’s when he realized he just needed to trust his teammates and coaches, who stuck with a run-heavy game.

“That’s what ended up working for us,” said Joint.

But he also threw some passes and completed two. Well, three, if you count the pick-6 that provided the Wayland-Cohocton/Dansville TD. But Joint was able to laugh that one off, especially after rushing for 129 yards and one TD.

That, and having a higher career winning percentage than his brother Reece.

“He knew how difficult it would be for me to come in and make reads,” said Carson. “But overall, I think he was pretty excited for me.”

Carson said he thanked teammates after the game for their help in his adjustment to make his first career game as a varsity QB a memorable one.

“I told the coaches after the game that I’ve won a sectional title before but this is the one game I’ll remember every single play of,” said Joint.

Russ expects Meacham and Wanzenried back for next week’s Section V Tournament opener so while Joint’s career as a QB might be done, there are more touches in his future. Russ said he liked the way Joint ran the ball effectively and if the situation calls for it, don’t be surprised to see No. 56 taking a handoff or two.

But for now, Russ joins Joint and the HF-L team in beaming with pride over Thursday’s accomplishment, which was about more than the victory.

“You always want your players to leave the program with lasting memories, whether they’re from practice, games or bus rides,” said Russ. “You want them to remember something so I was very happy to hear how much he loved that opportunity … Sometimes, that’s more important than wins or losses.”

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: HF-L lineman Carson Joint steps into QB role and leads Cougars to win