Change of fortune for Lehigh's J.B. Clark: From Lafayette game MVP to 'outta here'

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Wow. I'm shocked.

I probably shouldn't be, but I am.

Not only will J.B. Clark not be the starting quarterback for Lehigh when the Mountain Hawks open the season on Sept. 4 at Drake, but he won't be a member of the team either.

Clark, the MVP of the last two Lehigh-Lafayette games, has left the program.

Locked in a heated battle with junior Chris Lum and sophomore Mike Colvin for the starting position, Clark, a senior, was told he ranked third entering Wednesday's critical intra-squad scrimmage.

So, he left the team before the last scrimmage even took place.

A release sent out by Lehigh early Wednesday night spelled things out.

"Coming out of Friday's scrimmage, Chris Lum was in the lead," Lehigh coach Andy Coen said. "He had a good scrimmage and has been our most consistent quarterback throughout camp. [And] Colvin has shown flashes of great play, but must continue to develop."

Clark didn't like hearing he was third.

"As a coaching staff, we felt it was important to share with the quarterbacks their status after the scrimmage so they know they stood entering the final week," Coen said. "J.B. was third as he was outperformed by the other two quarterbacks on Friday. Upon being told the news, J.B. unfortunately decided he would like to leave Lehigh and find an institution where he can be a starting quarterback."

Coen had probably been Clark's biggest backer, always talking his character and poise.

But Clark hadn't ever attained the level of consistency needed to be a championship caliber quarterback in the Patriot League and Lehigh's 4-7 record last season had a lot -- but not all -- to do with inconsistent quarterback play.

As for Clark's abrupt departure, it's becoming a sign of the times. If kids aren't going to play, they're not going to stay. The same thing happened in 2008 when Clark won the job after a spirited battle with Chris Bokosky.

Bokosky didn't stick around either, leaving Lehigh thin at the position.

Coen is expected to make his starting quarterback announcement today (Thursday), and while I don't know what went on at Wednesday night's scrimmage since I am out of the Lehigh Valley on vacation, the above comments of Coen obviously indicate that Lum is going to get the job.

And Lum had been the favorite pretty much since the spring game. I remember talking to offensive coordinator Dave Cecchini after that game and he said that if the season was beginning that day, he'd go with Lum.

Obviously, nothing that has happened over the last four months changed that thought process for Cecchini and Coen.

So, Lehigh fans will be hoping that Lum, highly touted coming out of Michigan, can give the offense the leadership, skill and poise it will take for the team to end a string of three consecutive losing seasons. His job won't be easy because the schedule is brutal with defending national champ Villanova heading a list of top-25 teams Lehigh must play.

Lum started three games last season after Clark struggled.

He was 52-for-107 with five interceptions, a 48.6 completion rate, 564 yards, five touchdowns and a 62.7 quarterback rating.

Lum was 1-2 in his three starts, the one win coming over Georgetown.

Evidently, Lehigh is rallying behind Lum.

"From a leadership standpoint, we're sad to see J.B. go," said offensive lineman, preseason All-America candidate and senior co-captain Will Rackley. "But there's no negativity towards him and I don't think he has any towards us. As a team, we haven't missed a beat. We still have the same goal, to win a championship, and we're going to go out and every day and work with Chris, Mike and Trace [Cisneros, another quarterback] and try to make that happen."

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/