3A high school football: QB Long a versatile weapon for Hurricane

When it comes to honing his football skills, Hurricane quarterback Tim Long is a bit of a perfectionist. Long tries to find a way to squeeze in some time to toss around a football – sometimes to the annoyance of his coaches in other sports.

During track practices, Long gets into the habit of putting in a few runs and then heading straight to the football field to throw around balls with other teammates also competing on the track team.

Zoning in on football has been a customary practice for the senior throughout the year – even while winning state titles during the 3A state track meet at BYU.

"He probably threw thousands of footballs during track practice last year," said Tigers coach Chris Homer with a laugh. "Luckily the track coach is my freshman football coach."

Given how Long has performed under center this season, few people in Hurricane are likely to complain about him making football his top sports priority.

Long has been a playmaker for the Tigers through the air and on the ground. He has thrown for 1,460 yards and eight touchdowns while completing 90 of 160 passes. Long has also run 243 yards and three touchdowns on 47 carries.

Figuring out how to defend him can create a predicament for opposing coaches. Long is an accurate enough passer to keep a defense honest, and he is also mobile enough to rip off a few runs each game at times when an opposing team least expects it.

Homer said Long's versatility adds a valuable dimension to Hurricane's run-oriented offense. The Tigers have the ability to lean on him to run or throw depending on what the circumstances of the game dictate.

"Everybody loves the dual-threat quarterback these days, and we're no different," Homer said.

If Long can help Hurricane defeat Juan Diego in the title game rematch between the two teams at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday, it will be the second sport this year where he has helped the Tigers emerge as the top team in their classification at season's end.

Long scored valuable points in helping Hurricane claim a 3A boys team title at the 3A state track meet in the spring. He finished first in the 110 hurdles – crossing the finish line in 15.05 seconds – for an individual state title. Combined with his second place finish in the 300 hurdles and a fourth place finish in the javelin, it offered a nice boost to the Tigers and helped them finish with 91.5 total points and clinch a team title.

Homer believes the biggest value of Long's accomplishments in track and field has been the side effect the sport has had on his mental approach to football.

"If anything, track taught him to compete and excel at what he does and learn how to win things," Homer said. "I'm not sure if it made him any faster for football, but it just kind of shows off his athleticism when he can do what he does."

e-mail: jcoon@desnews.com