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GIBSONVILLE— Like all great decisions, Scott Loosemore only wishes he made this one sooner.

His Eastern Guilford team still needed a quarterback when practice began this summer. Josh Morehead confidently nominated himself. Pros: Two-time All-State defensive back, best athlete on the team, knew the offense from time at wide receiver. Cons: Never played quarterback.

"I just kind of laughed about it," Loosemore said. "Now look who's laughing."

Not opposing defenses. Running out of options following an 0-3 start, the Wildcats turned the reins over to Morehead, who has salvaged their season enough to be sitting on the brink of a playoff berth if they can beat visiting McMichael tonight.

The situation was dire when Loosemore made the switch. Despite returning seven defensive starters from a 7-5 team, the Wildcats gave up 40 points in two of their first three games and looked nothing like the team that topped 30 points five times last season. The low point came in Morehead's first start against Western Guilford, when the Wildcats argued with each other on the field, allowed Western running back Aaron Jones to score six times and wasted a rushing, passing and return touchdown from Morehead in a 48-31 defeat.

"We don't make little mistakes," Loosemore said. "We make huge mistakes."

A bye week following that loss couldn't have come at a better time. For Morehead, it offered a chance to hone his timing and get used to a different perspective.

"Moving him back there wasn't as difficult as we thought it would be," Loosemore said. "He had played wide receiver for us before that, so he knew the routes, the three-step drop. It was just a matter of getting caught up."

Not many people have been able to catch up since. In six games, including wins over Morehead, Rockingham County and a huge one over Williams last week, Morehead has accounted for 789 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and almost 700 yards and nine scores through the air. That's a full season for most players.

"He's explosive. I personally don't think there's a better athlete in the county other than Keenan Allen," Loosemore said. "We ran Northern in track last spring and he actually beat Keenan in the 200. He has all the tools."

Morehead is still playing cornerback, where he has 19 interceptions the last three seasons, and though brother Billy spells him occasionally on defense, Josh played every snap on both sides against Williams last week. He accounted for 238 yards of offense and four touchdowns in a a 33-31 win the Wildcats (3-7, 3-3 Mid-State 3-A) had to have to keep their season alive.

"You hate not to have a player of his caliber on the field all the time," Loosemore said.

For all their work, the Wildcats still need one big shovelful tonight to finish digging out of their hole. Morehead is one of 15 players who will go through Senior Night festivities at halftime, a sobering reminder of what's at stake.

"I don't want them to put too much pressure on themselves," Loosemore said, "but if we don't win this game, afterward we'll be putting equipment up on the shelves and this is the last time they'll wear a helmet for a while. I don't think there needs to be any more motivation."

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com