In Bob Gaddis’ last several years as Columbus East football coach, the Olympians were a run-heavy offense with the quarterback being a big part of that running game.
Eddie Vogel has taken over as head coach following Gaddis’ retirement, but the offensive philosophy doesn’t figure to change a whole lot. Speedy junior Ethan Duncan takes over under center and looks to continue the trend.
“I like to think of myself as more of a runner, but I can throw the ball around if I need to,” Duncan said. “I also can get out of the pocket and use my legs if I need to, as well.”
At 6-foot, 160 pounds, Duncan is a little taller and thinner than the two quarterbacks that recently led the Olympians to state titles — Alex Cowan in 2013 and Josh Major in 2017 — as well as last year’s starter, Malachi Parks, who now is playing at Hanover.
“I’d say he probably fits in the same mold as those guys,” Vogel said. “We’re working pretty hard at throwing the football, but Ethan’s strength is his speed and running the football, and obviously, we’ll have to rely on that.”
All of those, including Cowan, who now is an assistant coach at East, were run-first quarterbacks who could adeptly mix in the pass.
“I grew up watching those three,” Duncan said. “I went to both state games when they won. I base my game off of them, and I look up to them as people and coaches.”
Last year, Duncan saw action in five varsity games, mostly in the second half of blowouts after the Olympians had built a big lead. He completed 1 of 2 passes for 17 yards and carried 63 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns, although several of those carries were kneel-downs at the end of games.
This spring, Duncan ran on the Olympians’ state-qualifying 4×100- and 4×400-meter relay teams in track. A JV starter in football last fall, he realizes the speed of the game is faster at the varsity level.
“We’re playing quicker,” Duncan said. “We played quick in JV, but this is even quicker. You have to know what you’re doing immediately. You can’t really second-guess it. just have to go out there and play football. We have a great script, a great coaching staff, offensive line, great personnel. We just need to have some fun and play football.”
Duncan had his first real test as a starter on Friday when East scrimmaged at Decatur Central. Both teams scored one touchdown in the controlled scrimmage.
“I made some mistakes,” Duncan said. “I could have pulled (and ran) a few times. I had a couple incomplete passes. I should have done a little better there. But I’m a young guy, and it’s my first varsity experience.
“As a team, I think we did real well,” he added. “We made mistakes, obviously, but that’s normal. We’re a young team. We had 32 seniors graduate, so we’re working on building every week.”
Just as Parks did last offseason, Vogel said Duncan has emerged as the leader of the team over this summer.
“We have a young team and not a lot of starters back, but he’s kind of shown himself to kind of take the reins as the leader of our football team really all summer,” Vogel said. “You always want your quarterback to be a leader, and he’s done a really good job. He’s led by example, he’s been vocal, he’s really done anything and everything that we’ve needed him to do, and we’re just excited to get a chance to see him play on Friday nights.”
The first chance will be this week when the Olympians travel to Whiteland. East will try to avenge last year’s season-opening home loss to the Warriors.
“We keep putting good work in, watching film, studying, and we’ll go out there and I think we’ll get a first-week win,” Duncan said.
Duncan said one of the team’s big goals this season is to continue its streak of 14 consecutive outright Hoosier Hills Conference titles.
“Obviously, you want to make it to state,” Duncan said. “But one of the big goals we have here is to get better every week and play our best football in November.”
