Rick Ryan, Charleston Gazette, June 30, 2005

Nitro's search for a quarterback seems to have stopped on sophomore Michael Scott.

Wildcats coach Scott Tinsley went into the three-week practice period looking to hand the starting position to whoever performed the best. That turned out to be Scott, though it was mostly by default.

Junior Jamie Hamrick, a midseason transfer from Herbert Hoover last year, couldn't throw for five days because of a sore arm. Freshman Michael Minahan was involved in all-star baseball tournaments and Nitro's coaches didn't want to labor his pitching arm.

"I think we got a pretty clear-cut decision," Tinsley said. "It was made in part because of injury, but Michael Scott will be our starting quarterback. He has really stepped up since last year. He doesn't look like the same kid at all.

"He took virtually every snap for us [at a team camp] in Morgantown last weekend and really put on a pretty good show. He played well enough for us to win every game. We didn't do that, but he had us in position to win every one. He's doing just fine."

Nitro played seven-on-seven passing games at the camp against teams like defending AAA champion Morgantown and Pennsylvania power Cathedral Prep.

Scott started three games at Nitro last year when Michael Williams went down with a broken leg and the 5-foot-9, 145-pounder completed 18-of-27 attempts for 122 yards. Most of his attempts, however, were in the safe mode, 5-yard tosses into the flat, quick hitches and screen passes.

"But he has really gotten after it in the weight room," Tinsley said, "and he's a much more mature-looking kid. He's really thrown the ball downfield quite well. I think he'll be able to get out there and do what he needs to do to run our offense."