On almost every one of Gilbert Perry’s offensive plays, two quarterbacks are on the field.

 

One is the quarterback by definition. The other plays with the mentality of one.

 

Sometimes, having two quality quarterbacks can cause issues in a locker room. But at Perry, it has helped cultivate one of the premier teams in the state.

 

Each snap, senior Brock Purdy lines up under center while junior D’Shayne James splits out wide. James is no typical wide receiver though. Nor is Purdy’s and James’ connection the typical quarterback-receiver relationship.

 

The roots of their bond run deep into the QB room, where James spends a lot of his time. He is one of Perry’s best receivers, but is also its talented backup quarterback. It all comes together to help Purdy and James lead a dynamic offense, one good enough to push Perry deep into the postseason.

 

“It’s a good connection between me and Brock,” James said. “I know the plays inside and out, where everyone else is supposed to be.”

 

Purdy is as established as high school quarterbacks come. He has led his school to unprecedented success, highlighted by last season’s 11-2 record and run to the state semifinals. An All-Arizona team selection, Purdy threw for more than 3,000 yards and 42 touchdowns a year ago.

 

James is one of his go-to targets. The budding star finished third on the team with 35 receptions and seven touchdowns in his second season in Gilbert. But his contributions to the team include far more than just his production catching the ball.

 

For all of James’ ability as a receiver, he has become an integral part of the team’s quarterback composition, serving as Purdy’s backup since the start of last season.

 

His skills as a dual-threat quarterback are rare, almost as rare as his ability to be a dual-position talent.

 

“He would start (at quarterback) at 99 percent of all high schools in America right now,” Perry coach Preston Jones said of James. “To have a backup with that kind of talent level is awesome.”

 

This fall, James has been successful when relieving Purdy late in lopsided wins. In Perry’s 70-24 win over Tempe Corona del Sol last Friday, James scored a touchdown at receiver in the first half, before leading two scoring drives as quarterback in the third quarter.

 

James’ development into a two-position weapon has taken time and mentorship. Few people have aided his growth more than Purdy.

 

James first saw action at quarterback at the beginning of last season, a campaign the Pumas began with playoff expectations.

 

Purdy got sick during the preseason, suffering from mono infection. The illness kept him out of the school’s season opener against Desert Vista. James was only a sophomore, yet was given the nod as the Pumas’ replacement starter.

 

Early on, his inexperience showed.

 

“When he had to do that, he got thrown into the fire,” Jones said. “He didn’t play quarterback as a freshman, so it was his first high school snap at quarterback. He hadn’t played quarterback since youth ball.”

 

James struggled to find a rhythm in the first half. With the exception of a long touchdown pass to his older brother, Nate, the Pumas’ offense was sluggish. They trailed 14-10 at the break.

 

Purdy sought out his understudy at halftime that night, delivering advice that resonated with the receiver-turned-quarterback.

 

“He was a little rattled, a little panicked, but Brock was there on the sideline,” Jones said. “Coaches couldn’t calm D’Shayne down that first half, and Brock was his calming voice. Sat him down and talked to him on the sideline and really chilled him out.”

 

Purdy remembers the moment well. He just wanted to get James to believe in his abilities on the field.

 

“I tried to give him as much confidence as he could get,” Purdy said. “I told to calm down because that first game was going real fast. I knew that after a couple snaps he would get the hang of things.”

 

Purdy was right.

 

In the second half, James was a different player. Using both his feet and his arm, he led consecutive scoring drives to get the Pumas back in the game. Despite opening the half with a score from running back Clayson Conrad, however, Perry still found itself trailing by eight points in the fourth quarter.

 

Starting from their own 20, the James led a Pumas march. He found running back Kenny Fultz through the air with a 49-yard pass, before running in a 2-yard touchdown himself. James then reverted back to catching the ball on the two-point conversion, getting open thanks to a trick-play reverse pass from Colby Dickie. It tied the score with less than nine minutes to play.

 

The game went to overtime, where a Desert Vista fumble set the Pumas up for a winning score and a 1-0 start to the season.

 

With Purdy still sick, James started the following two games. Perry won both.

 

“He grew up very fast,” Jones said. “Brock was a big help to that.”

 

By the fourth game, Purdy returned to health and guided Perry to the doorstep of the state championship game. James went back to playing predominately at wide receiver, taking a new perspective with him to his original position.

 

He might spend most of his plays downfield trying to catch the ball now, but in his mind he is still in the pocket, ball in his hands, looking to throw.

 

“I know where I should be on my routes,” James said. “Not just where (Purdy) should throw the ball, but where I have to be, at what time I have to get there.”

 

This season, James’ role has grown at both positions. It is no coincidence his bond with Purdy has continued to flourish as well.

 

“That brought us closer together,” Purdy said. “At practice, we were always talking about football. We are always together on the field now.”

Through five games, James’ eight total touchdowns are a team-high and the fourth-most in the state at the 6A level. In addition to working on his receiving game, James throws on a red-colored jersey, one exclusively for quarterbacks, during practices. He said he has stepped up his play thanks to the mental development that comes with trying to perfect his craft at two positions.

 

Purdy and James are position-mates Monday through Thursdays now, developing a relationship translates to explosive performances on Friday nights. What they have is special; rare is it for two players who share the quarterbacks’ room to also share the spotlight.

 

“Our chemistry is good,” Purdy said. “When he is running routes, I know where he is going to be, and he knows where I am going to be…He knows what I see, so it’s good that he’s running routes and getting separation from defenders.”

 

Their connection sparked with James on the field and Purdy guiding him from the sidelines at the beginning of last year. The two have turned that bond into one of the best quarterback-receiver tandems in the state; that is, when James isn’t the one making the throws himself.

Either way, it has set Perry up for success now, and potential for the future. For Jones and the Pumas, having two talented quarterbacks is a good problem to have.

 

Note: Photo retrieved from Perry High School Football YouTube Page