Ventura Puts Albrent at Quarterback

No wonder Tim Albrent spent nearly every waking hour on the football field last week.

With a few days left in the summer 7-on-7 passing season, the Ventura High running back was moved to quarterback by Coach Harvey Kochel, which gave Albrent just a month to prepare for the season opener at the most complex position on the field.

Albrent left immediately for the type of intensive training that can be found only at a football camp. But he did not attend a quarterback camp; he went to boot camp, the Ray Palphry Punting School at Claremont McKenna.

It appears Albrent (6-2, 195), whom Kochel describes as the team’s finest athlete, is poised to become a triple threat. He led Ventura last season with 808 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing and averaged 34 yards a punt.

This year, he also will be asked to pass.

“Tim has a powerful arm,” Kochel said. “I’ve got no worries about his ability to throw the ball.”

Kochel’s concern is Albrent’s attitude. “He’s indicated to me that he’d rather stay at tailback, but he has to be ready to accept the role of quarterback,” the coach said.

The coach might have underestimated Albrent’s ability to adapt. When he wasn’t punting last week, Albrent was daydreaming about throwing touchdown passes.

“The whole summer I was visualizing being a tailback, watching game films, getting excited,” he said. “So I’m sure that coach got the impression I didn’t want to change.

“But after thinking about it, I want to play quarterback. I just had my mind set on something else.”

Albrent is not a complete novice at quarterback. As a sophomore, he replaced a slumping Jason Matheny as the starter in the opening round of the Coastal Conference playoffs.

Ventura was defeated, 33-0, by Antelope Valley, but Albrent rushed for 91 yards. He also played quarterback last season in a game against Simi Valley in which Matheny, who averted a quarterback controversy by having a standout season, was injured.

“I can become leader I’ve always wanted to be,” Albrent said. “I’ll still run because we’ll run the option. I can be more versatile at quarterback.”

Chris Lambert, a senior transfer from Dos Pueblos, and junior, Danny Taylor, the team’s fastest player, will replace Albrent at tailback.

“We’ve got some good-looking kids in the backfield,” Kochel said. “Having Tim at quarterback puts the best combination of talent on the field. And it puts his leadership where we can use it.”