While the Goshen Eagles may have been inexperienced at the quarterback position in 2009, that is not the case in the upcoming season.

A year ago, the team was looked for someone to step up for the team behind center and when Jerome Lawrence answered the call, the coaching staff found that someone.

The team finished with 7-3 record and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Now, with another year of experience under his belt and a taste of success, the junior enters the new season as the starting quarterback for the Eagles and is looking to take his team to the next level.

“I know I have to make the plays to help the team win,” he said.

“Whatever I can do to help the team, by throwing, by running, with leadership – I’m ready to do.

“I just want to do my job,” Lawrence added.

That job could be fairly easy, depending on how one looks at it.

With two 1,000-yard running backs like Marcus Jackson and Reginald Foster lining up behind Lawrence, it is easy to see why the quarterback is in an offensive system that primarily focuses on running the ball.

But even with that in mind, he still believes he can contribute just as much as his running back teammates.

“I’ll need to deliver the ball to my receivers, and I know I can do that,” he said.

“Last year was a big step for me. It gave me a lot of experience and it helped me get better.

“I want to be dominant – I want to lead the team,” Lawrence added.

The Eagles’ head coach has the same kind of confidence in his starting quarterback.

“I think Jerome has matured tremendously over the last year,” Bart Snyder said.

“He was able to do a lot for us last year with both his legs and his arm and I think he will continue to be able to do that this year along with making better decisions (as the quarterback).”

It’s Lawrence’s mobility that is his greatest asset, in Snyder’s eyes.

“With Jerome being able to run, it gives us a lot more options and creates a lot more threats for the defenses to worry about,” the coach said.

That’s not where the Eagles’ quarterback situation stops however, as the team has two more options ready to take the field at moment’s notice as sophomores Russ Thomas and Rhett Lolley are the two other quarterbacks on the depth chart.

Both guys have done a great job for us this summer,” Snyder said. “Both guys have worked extremely hard.”

While the coach said both quarterbacks are more traditional pocket passes, as opposed to Lawrence, both fit in well with the offense.

“I really like what both are able to do and like Jerome, they both have matured since last year,” Snyder said.

“They both give us the option of having a thrower (behind center) if we need one in a game.”