Winrow Hasn’t Played Quarterback or Even Football, But He’s Starting

LA MESA —  It is not unusual to see Tory Winrow throw a ball. Except that it is usually a baseball and his target is a first baseman’s glove and not a receiver.

But Winrow, a third baseman on the Helix High School baseball team that won the San Diego Section 3-A title last spring, will find himself crouched behind center instead of a third base bag when the Highlanders host Madison tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Helix and Madison have distinctly different situations when it comes to quarterback. Madison returns Brad Eaddy. Helix, ranked third in the county, returns no one.

Eaddy, operating out of Madison’s run-and-shoot offense, threw for 2,358 yards last season to rank second in the county at 226 yards per game. And he is rated as one of the top 50 high school recruits in the state by Cal Hi Sports.

Helix was to start junior Rob Ippolito, who led the junior varsity to a 9-1 record last season. Ippolito, however, discovered he had mononucleosis before practice started and he is expected to miss the first two games of the season.

Enter Winrow.

“I’d been hinting to (Coach Jim Arnaiz),” Winrow said. “I thought he’d never ask, but he finally did.”

Winrow threw a little during spring practice behind Ippolito, but he was penciled in as a wide receiver. Until Ippolito’s illness.

“It’s actually been a blessing in disguise for us,” Arnaiz said. “It forced us to find another quarterback. Before we were relying on Rob to be healthy the entire season.”

To say that Winrow is inexperienced at quarterback is an understatement. He is, in fact, inexperienced at football. This is the first year that Winrow will play organized football of any kind.

“I’ve always been around it,” Winrow said. “I’ve played it in the streets and watched it, but as far as organized football, this is my first year.”

Winrow didn’t play his freshman and sophomore years and tried to play last season as a junior. Winrow transferred to Helix from Lincoln and was not eligible to play under the transfer rules.

“I feel kind of pressured,” Winrow said. “There is a lot of expectations. It’s a hard position to learn in two weeks. But it will subside after this first game.”

And Winrow wants to be around even after Ippolito is well enough to play.

“(Ippolito) is really going to have to do good to get his job back,” Winrow said. “I don’t want to go back to wide receiver. This is fun.”

Although a lot of emphasis will be on the Helix offense, it may be the defense that is the key. Helix will have to contain Eaddy.