Snap decision
works for Boyd

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Charles Boyd never yells at his linemen.
Boyd, a senior quarterback for the Abraham Lincoln High School football team, never tells his right guard to stay on his block. He doesn’t scream at his left tackle if he jumps offside. He doesn’t even give them a stern look if he happens to be flat on his back.
Boyd knows better. He used to be in their shoes.
"I was actually the center on the (junior varsity) team during my sophomore year," said Boyd, who lives around the corner from the high school. "Our varsity quarterback that year was Luis Purr, and he was working with us in practice and he told the coaches that I could throw.
"I didn’t think about playing quarterback . . . I was having fun blocking," Boyd explained. "But last year we needed a quarterback, so I gave it a shot. It’s going great."
It’s not going too badly for the Railsplitters, either.
On Friday afternoon at Thomas Edison High School, Boyd completed all four of his passing attempts for 68 yards and a touchdown, helping the Railsplitters crunch Edison, 35-0, in a Public League Blue Division game.
Lincoln, led by senior tailback Kevin Chilton, who rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns and also grabbed an interception on defense, improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Blue Division play.
Boyd, though, has taken some knocks. Three weeks ago, during Lincoln’s 26-0 victory over Southern, something went terribly wrong for him. He dropped back to pass and was thrown to the ground, banging his head.
The result was a pretty good headache and a scary concussion. It kept him on the sidelines, standing next to Lincoln coach Gene Kelly, for the rest of that game and the one that followed.
"I hated it," Boyd said with a smile. "I like coach and all, but I was charting the plays instead of playing. I think I could have played, but I wasn’t allowed to. It didn’t matter because we have two good quarterbacks, me and Joey (McCausland), so I wasn’t worried about us losing. I was just worried about not playing. Playing is fun."
Even more so, of course, when you’re winning.
Lincoln has defeated everyone except West Philadelphia this year, and that loss was a killer. It knocked the Railsplitters from the playoffs because only one team from the Blue Division makes a trip to postseason play.
But that’s how it goes. Beyond that, the Railsplitters have played good football all year.
"I couldn’t be happier with this year," said Boyd, who has three touchdown passes on the season. "Everyone wants to do well during the senior year, but this is really good. We’ve been playing well as a team and we’re having fun."
Chilton, who leads the Public League in rushing with more than 850 yards in six games, is the offensive spark for Lincoln, but Boyd does his best to be the leader.
"As the quarterback, I try to be the leader, but we’re a pretty mature team," Boyd said. "We have a lot of talent, we have good coaches, but we also know what we should do. Most of the time, we do it."
Next year, Boyd hopes to continue his football career at college, though he’s unsure what he’ll study. He also hopes to stay behind center, not play it.
But if things don’t work out in football, Boyd figures, he could always fall back on his other sport.
"I’ve been playing baseball my whole life too," said Boyd, a standout pitcher and shortstop for the Railsplitters’ baseball team. "It’s a lot different than football . . . it’s a completely different throwing motion . . . but I love doing that, too. I think I’m more of a football player, but I would definitely play baseball in college.
"I just want to have fun my senior year," he added. "If I got a scholarship for either, that would be great, but right now I’m trying to have fun and win here."
Oh, and be nice to his linemen.
"Yeah, I know how it feels to be them," he said. "We have a really good line, so I don’t have to worry about that." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com