Football: QB Nick Waugh runs an exciting show for finals-bound O'Neill
HIGHLAND FALLS – Nick Waugh has grown up around the Army football program his whole life – his dad, Tucker, has been a coach and player personnel director for 21 years.
Among Nick’s idols on Army teams past are quarterbacks Ahmad Bradshaw and Kelvin Hopkins, very athletic players who would occasionally open up the Black Knights’ stoic triple-option offense that grinds opponents by the run and winds the clock.
Nick Waugh naturally gravitated to signal calling for James I. O’Neill High School – located near the gates of West Point – but his play is more gun-slinger than ground-and-pound. True, the Raiders have a solid ground game thanks to the hard running of Jordan Thompson, but that only opens up the passing attack for targets like Jadon Spain, Marek Arbogast, Thor Swanson and Thomas McGuiness. Waugh figures that’s going to keep the opposition guessing at all times.
O’Neill has reached the finals for the first time in seven tries since the state tourney was founded in 1993. Saturday’s 6 p.m. Class C championship at Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome pits O’Neill (11-2), winners of 10 in a row, and Section 3 champion General Brown (11-1), winners of seven in a row.
“We just have to take what they give us,’’ Waugh said. “They will probably come out trying to stop the pass. If we have to open up the run game, we'll do that. We'll just do whatever they're giving us.’’
The Raiders utilize a run-pass option (or RPO), putting a lot of split-second reads on quarterbacks like Waugh. He’s been quite efficient, completing 70 percent of his throws for 2,550 yards (209 yards per game) and 30 touchdowns, while directing a rushing attack that has amassed 1,361 yards (105 per game) - Waugh has 210 of those yards and two scores.
What’s remarkable is Waugh basically missed two seasons of games and practice before assuming the reins this year – he injured a shoulder in the first game of the spring 2021 COVID season as a sophomore and threw just one pass (completing it for a touchdown) as a junior in fall 2021.
“Nick has a lot of talent,’’ said head coach David Moskowitz. “Nick picked up a lot of experience along the way, and he's playing with tremendous confidence now.’’
It doesn’t hurt to have a coach in the family – even though Army runs a completely different offense than O’Neill, there has always been a lot of coaching talk between father and son.
“Nick puts in a lot of film work,’’ Moskowitz said. “His father is a coach so he’s been around it his entire life – he looks at (football) through very different eyes than most kids.
“He’s a very smart kid. He makes the decisions and he’s really grown into this role. He’s had an unbelievable season,’’ his coach added. “The kids just have the utmost respect for him.’’
Waugh remains quite humble about his accomplishments.
“I'm not doing too much. I'm getting the ball to the right people,’’ Waugh said. “They make me look good.
In short order, Waugh will trade a football for a basketball, playing shooting guard for the hoops team. He said his college plans are not finalized and he’s not sure whether he will be playing football or basketball.
As for Saturday’s gridiron finals, Waugh can hardly wait.
“It’s really exciting,’’ he said. “Being in the state finals is awesome and we really just have to take advantage of the opportunity. … I think we're doing a great job and we’ve got one more to go.’’
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: James I. O'Neill high school football New York Class C finals preview
