This time, it will be Luke Cross. He plans to enter his senior season as the starting varsity quarterback for the first time.

With weeks of reps at quarterback already, Cross likes what he has seen from himself and his team so far into summer workouts.

“I think our confidence is great right now,” Cross said. “Our offense is doing really good [and] our line is doing a lot better. Everybody is just making progress and we are just building together as one. We have chemistry together.”

Prior to his senior year, Cross spent his time playing wide receiver and defensive back along with being the starting quarterback for Social Circle’s junior varsity squad.

“I played a lot of quarterback growing up. It was the first position I ever played,” Cross said. “Last year was my first time playing something different, but coach asked me to step up. That is what I am going to do.”

Cross also had the opportunity to watch his older brother, Logan, start at quarterback for the Redskins all four years of his high school career.

The senior shared what he learned from his brother, who is now a quarterback at Samford University.

“The way he acts and the way he talks to his teammates — how he treats them, how he coaches them,” Cross said. “Coaching is something I should do as a quarterback and be a leader.”

When it came to goals he set for himself in his final year, Cross spoke about the desire to get his playmakers involved.

“[I plan on] getting my receivers the ball,” Cross said. “Giving them plays and giving them the spotlight.”

During the spring workouts, Cross received credit from head coach Rob Patton.

“Cross, who played wide receiver for us all of last season and played quarterback on JV his sophomore year, showed a lot of growth and promise during spring ball,” Patton said. “He made some incredible throws in our scrimmage game and also showed us his toughness when he took some very hard hits during the scrimmage and got back up every time and kept competing.”

Cross gave credit to coach Norman Jones for helping his development over the summer.

“Coach Jones is a coach that has pushed me a lot,” Cross said. “He has taught me and he sees what I do wrong and he fixes it. We talk about it and I listen. He has made me grow, not just as a player but as a person.”

Cross’s talents go beyond the gridiron, too.

When he is not throwing passes on the field, Cross is making the throws on the diamond as part of the Redskins baseball team.

As a player who starts for both teams, Cross shared which one he felt is the toughest.

“I would say football is more difficult with all the effort you have to put in and the work you have to put in,” Cross said. “You have to be here every single day. It teaches you how to be a man in general and how to become a better person.”

Even then, Cross harped on how playing both sports helps him in the other.

“Getting stronger, faster and better conditioning,” Cross said. “It helps you get more coachable, because football is not easy. When you're a coach, you become a better person and a better player.”