For high school football coaches who enjoy calling plays, it must be nice to have Zach McCarter running the offense.

Hixson coach Houston White calls the shots offensively for his team and is the fortunate one to have McCarter. He’s made his coach look pretty good.

“He’s got the physical tools to be able to throw and run,” White said. “He’s more than just a runner, and more than just a passer. If we need him to run 20 times, he can get us 100-and-something yards, or if we need him to throw it 38 times for 300 yards, he can do that, too.”

McCarter will again lead the Wildcats’ offense when they take the field tonight for their homecoming game against Region 4-4A opponent White County (1-4, 0-2). Kickoff is at 7:30.

Hixson (3-2, 1-1) has already won more games than it did last year when McCarter missed the first half of his sophomore season because of a knee injury suffered during a preseason scrimmage. White said the team began showing promise late last season, not coincidentally after McCarter returned.

The coach-quarterback relationship was strengthened during last offseason. After his summer baseball season ended, McCarter spent numerous hours viewing and dissecting games with White, in addition to getting physically prepared for football season.

“We worked a whole lot on my footwork,” McCarter said. “I struggled some with my footwork last year.”

McCarter is also a wrestler and said that sport has been instrumental with conditioning in particular. But football is the sport he hopes is part of his future plans.

White makes an effort to assure that his quarterback understands what’s expected of him on the field by giving him a “tips-and-reminders sheet” each week. White also grades McCarter’s performances, then asks his quarterback to grade himself, too.

McCarter began his football career as a lineman. He was too big in fifth grade to play a skill position, according to the North River YMCA league’s size specifications.

He was in seventh grade at Hixson Middle School when he first tried out at quarterback. Now he wouldn’t think of playing anywhere else.

“I love it,” said McCarter, now 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds. “I love having the pressure on me. I like being in tight siituations and having to make the big play.”

He’s done that. The Wildcats have 16 touchdowns in their last four games. McCarter has thrown for nine and run for five.

White said he’s not surprised that McCarter has flourished this season.

“He knew coming into it that it was his offense,” White said. “We were going to win or lose with him.”

McCarter said the players entered this season knowing they were going to have a better team than last year’s. He hopes they can position themselves for a deep postseason run.

“If we’re going to do it,” McCarter said, “this is the year.”

He must know something. Yet if his play continues to improve at the rate it has in the last year, Hixson could thrive in 2009, too.

“He’s cool under pressure,” White said. “He knows I can be hard on him, but he doesn’t pout or anything like that. He’s football savvy. I’d like to see him take more command in the huddle. Next year I think he will. Right now he’s leading by doing the right things and making the plays.”

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