JAY — He was gone for six months, but in that relatively short amount of time, Austin Clark missed Jay, and Jay missed Austin Clark. Terribly.

So when Clark moved back to his home town for his senior year after spending most of his junior year in Smithfield, Va., it was as if he was returning after being lost at sea for weeks.

“Everyone was pretty welcoming back home,” he said. “They were pretty happy to see me.”

Few were happier to see him than Jay football coach Mark Bonnevie, but not just because Clark is a two-way gridiron standout for the Tigers.

“I was more excited for him because I knew he was going to be happy here. The football part was just a bonus,” Bonnevie said. “I’ve known Austin a long time. I was just glad to see him back with his friends.”

Clark’s absence was felt amongst his friends, of course, but also among the town’s many rabid Tiger fans. The 6-foot-5 Clark was the centerpiece of Jay’s basketball rebuilding plans last winter, and his return to quarterback the Tigers’ offense this fall for a third year and lead their stingy defense has made them one of the contenders in the new-look Campbell Conference.

His combination of size and speed makes Clark the perfect quarterback for Bonnevie’s system, which calls on the QB to use his legs as much as, if not more than, his arm.

“He’s not just going to sit back there and hand it off. He’s going to carry it as much as our top tailback is going to,” Bonnevie said. “Without him, I don’t know if we would have had that part of our offense this year.”

“In a spread offense, you’ve got to go full speed,” Clark said. “There’s a
lot of timing. If the timing’s off, the play’s off, which makes it
hard. But that makes it a challenge, too, and I never back down to a
challenge.”

“(Bonnevie) has faith in me. Obviously, I make the wrong decision sometimes. Lately, it’s been forcing the ball into places where it can’t be forced,” Clark said laughing. “It is a work in progress.”

The offense has been a work in progress for the first two weeks, Clark said, but the defense has been in midseason form, allowing just 12 points. Part of the reason is Clark’s presence in the secondary, according to Bonnevie.

“He’s as good a defensive player as offensive player,” he said. “He plays free safety like a linebacker.”

Clark, a Campbell Conference all-star at safety last year, admitted to letting his emotions show a little more on defense. As a quarterback, he said he needs to keep everything in check to command the huddle. As a safety, he’ll let it all hang out.

“On defense, I can be a little more rowdy,” he said. “I’m sure you might see me scream a little bit.”

Jay High School’s quarter back Austin Clark, a senior, returns to Maine after a year in Virginia to lead the Tigers back to football respectability.