By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
If you’re doing a story about how four key members of the Northwood football team are also four key members of the Falcons’ baseball team, it might be a good idea to see what the school’s baseball coach thinks about that.
“I love it,” said Austin Alexander. “I love how they want to be out there competing. I wish all of my players played football.”
Christian Blackmon (middle linebacker, pitcher), Jaxon Bentzler (tight end, shortstop), Hutson Hearron (quarterback, third base) and Tucker McCabe (centerfielder, wide receiver) are certainly making the mark on Northwood athletics.
But in a secret, no-one-will-tell-your-coach ballot, each was asked whether football or baseball was their favorite sport.
Two voted for baseball. Two voted for football.
Without being told which way the voting went, both Alexander and football coach Austin Brown guessed correctly and without hesitation. Favorite or not, both coaches are happy to have the two-sport Group of Four suiting up for them.
“Baseball is a lot more mental,” Blackmon said. “You have to be more focused. In football, you have to be more physically ready.”
“In football, you are preparing every day,” Bentzler said. “It’s somebody new every week. In baseball, it doesn’t really matter who you are going against and you are not breaking down your opponent every week. You’re just playing.”
“Football is just an every-week deal,” Hearron said. “In baseball, you have to do something every day to improve your skill.”
“I think football is a little more competitive and more of a team sport,” McCabe said. “Baseball is a team sport, too, but most of the time, it’s one guy making the play and one guy is at the plate and everybody is counting on that one person.”
Hearron has completed 92 of 155 passes for 1,082 yards and 11 touchdowns. McCabe is the leading receiver on the team with 31 catches for 451 yards and seven scores. Bentzler has caught three passes and played quarterback, completing 4 of 7 with a touchdown.
Blackmon is second on the team with 42 tackles and has a sack and an interception.
Hearron and McCabe are seniors; Blackmon and Bentzler are juniors but have been baseball starters since they were freshmen.
Northwood’s football team is 3-4 overall but 3-1 in District 1-4A and will play host to Booker T. Washington (3-4, 1-3) Thursday night at Jerry Burton Stadium.
The Falcons reached the quarterfinals in baseball last year and are expected to have another strong team, but the foursome takes a different approach to managing the two sports at the same time.
“I do baseball as much as I can,” said Bentzler, who is expected to play a variety of positions in the upcoming year. “I love football, but for me, it’s just to keep me in shape. I love being on the (football) team. But I play baseball as much as a I can.”
“I forget about baseball (during football season),” Blackmon said. “I pitch so much (during the spring and summer) that my arm needs the rest.”
“Football season is for football,” Hearron said. “Baseball season is for baseball.”
“I’m locked in on football,” McCabe said. “But I’ll still go do some hitting or go throw a little bit.”
There is always the threat of injury, as McCabe knows all too well. He suffered a torn labrum and missed the 2022 football season … but not the ’23 baseball season.
“I’m sore throughout every season, but can’t sit around and do nothing,” McCabe said. “I’ve got to keep going. I might be sore, but it doesn’t matter.”
“When I pick up a football, it’s way different than throwing a baseball,” Hearron said. “I’ve got to have about a week to get adjusted.”
But there is no adjustment to baseball for Bentzler. “I told Coach Brown that I wasn’t going to be around much during the summer because of baseball,” he said. “Baseball is my dream. I think it took him a little while, but he came around.”
Asked them to name their favorite athletic moments and the answers are about as varied as you might expect. “My first start in football against Wossman when I was a freshman,” Blackmon said.
“Hitting a walk-off home run in the second round of the playoffs against Tioga,” Bentzler said.
“Beating North DeSoto in football last year for the district championship,” Hearron said. “That was crazy.”
“I know we lost in 12 innings, but the playoff game against North DeSoto that went 12 innings (in 2022) was unbelievable,” McCabe said. “It was a great game. Everything was so pumped up.”
They’d like nothing better than to be able to create a better memory. No matter which sport.
Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com