It's Grime time

As a freshman, he was relegated to junior varsity.

The next year, he lost out on the starting job.

Last season, he moved to wide receiver.

Entering his final year on the gridiron, Parker Grimes is right where he wanted to be all along.

Under center.

As the Jay County High School football team opens the 2018 season against the Blackford Bruins at 7 p.m. Friday in Hartford City, the Patriots will have a new starting quarterback for the first time in three years.

“It's been different because I've never been the No. 1 guy yet,” Grimes said.

Holton Hill led the team since his sophomore season. He threw for more than 3,000 yards, 35 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in his career.

Hill and Grimes were the only two true quarterbacks in the program during the 2015 season. The former, a sophomore, got the job, despite not looking the part; the roster generously listed him at 5 feet, 8 inches, tall and 124 pounds.

A year later, Millspaugh was faced with a bit of a quarterback controversy, which was never a problem in his offense before as it was typically a run-first scheme.

When Millspaugh switched to a run-and-shoot offense from the Wing-T in 2016, he had to make a choice: stick with his returning starter or go with Grimes.

Ultimately, Millspaugh went with experience. He pointed to footwork as the biggest part of the position Grimes needed to work on most.

“I thought Parker handled that situation with class,” Millspaugh said. “I thought Holton handled that situation with class. I felt like those two handled that situation with more class than everybody else involved. I was very impressed with his maturity.”

Grimes wanted the job. He had played quarterback since his days in Pee Wee football with his dad, Brian, as his coach. Like most kids who grew up in Indiana in this millennium's first decade, Grimes looked up to former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

Being the top guy, like his idol, was the plan. It just didn't work out that first year on varsity, though he did get a spot start in the homecoming game against South Adams (a 29-28 win).

“I didn't do as well but (Hill) came out here and got the job done,” he said of his first, and to date only, start at QB.

Hill solidified his role as the starting quarterback for the 2017 season, and it left Grimes with a choice: remain a backup or play another position.

He didn't want to sit the bench, so he decided to catch passes instead of throw them.

When Grimes thought he was open and Hill threw the ball to someone else, the frustration was easy to notice. Grimes would go back to the sideline or return to the line of scrimmage shrugging his shoulders. He wanted the ball. Somehow, he had to cope with the desire to have it thrown his way every play.

“Holton promised to throw to me,” he joked as how he was able to overcome his dissatisfaction.

Grimes hauled in 14 passes, finished third on the team with 250 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also made key blocks for his teammates downfield, although he admitted it wasn’t his favorite thing to do.

Hill’s graduation made Grimes the front-runner to be the starter heading into his senior campaign. His only competition was his younger brother, Landon.

The older Grimes spent the offseason honing his craft, attending Football University camp in Indianapolis in June. There, he took instruction from Jeff Rutledge, who was a back-up quarterback on two teams that won Super Bowls.

Despite his senior’s offseason work, Millspaugh was still concerned with how quickly Grimes could get up to speed with the position. He took some reps at QB as a junior in case Hill ever got hurt, but he spent most of the time practicing at wide receiver, tight end or with the first team defense (he led the team with three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown).

“What I was really curious about, his read progression, how quick would he be with it,” Millspaugh said. “How would he handle pocket presence?

“So far in scrimmages and in practices, he's looked really good. We're really pleased with where he is right now.”

Grimes stands 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 195 pounds. He has the makeup of a quarterback. He can see above his offensive linemen and read the defense. He can scan to see the open guy and has the arm strength to throw the deep ball to stretch the field.

The next step was building chemistry with his receivers.

Turns out, it was a piece of cake.

“It was honestly really easy to adjust to Parker again,” said fellow senior Caleb Webster, who returns as the team's leading receiver, having caught 21 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns. “We have been playing together since Pee Wee days so I know how he works. I can run routes to my full potential because I know he will get me the ball.”

Millspaugh is excited for the dynamic of the passing game with Grimes' arm.

“I think that we've got some guys on the perimeter that are faster and I think we have a chance to get behind people,” he said. “Obviously, when you've got that chance, being able to throw the ball down the field matters.”

From starting high school on junior varsity, to serving as a back-up and moving to the outside to catch footballs, Grimes finally has the spotlight.

“There's a lot of attention that goes with that position, and that attention is not always positive,” Millspaugh said. “You've got to find out, is that something they want? And Parker certainly wants that position, that attention.

“And he's done a good job with it so far.”