Goshen High School head coach Joe Thornton is hoping that sophomore quarterback Tyrese Wingard can give wings to the Eagles' offense in 2006.

Through the course of summer workouts, Thornton has liked what he's seen.

&uot;I've been impressed with Tyrese this summer,&uot; Thornton said. &uot;We've played a lot of 7-on-7 games and gone to several camps and Tyrese has improved each time.&uot;

Thornton points out that the improvement has more to do with the sophomore signal caller's work ethic than it does anything else.

&uot;Tyrese has talent,&uot; Thornton said. &uot;There's no question that he's a very good athlete, but the improvement has come because he's put in a lot of hard work.

&uot;He's made himself better with the effort he's put in this summer, which we believe will make us better as a team.&uot;

Wingard certainly has a large pair of shoes to fill following the departure of four-year starter Judson Ricks.

&uot;There's no question he's got some big shoes to fill,&uot; Thornton said. &uot;Judson was a great quarterback for us. He was a smart player that understood the game and what we were trying to do, and Judson had a strong arm. He didn't make many mistakes and he gave you chances to win. He won't be an easy guy to replace, but I feel like Tyrese is a guy that can grow into that role.&uot;

Thornton also believes that a season of playing wide receiver while Ricks was under center will be a benefit to his new quarterback.

&uot;I think it's great that Tyrese had a chance to play receiver while Judson was our quarterback,&uot; Thornton said. &uot;He had the chance to learn from Judson. Judson rarely made a bad decision on the field and I think being able to see that first hand on the field will be a tremendous benefit to Tyrese as he transitions to the quarterback position.&uot;

One aspect the Goshen head coach believes Wingard brings to the team and the offense that differs from what Ricks offered is more mobility in the backfield.

&uot;Tyrese is a phenomenal athlete,&uot; Thornton said. &uot;He has a strong arm and can throw the ball. He's probably not as comfortable back there with that yet as Judson was, but he adds a dimension that we didn't always have with Judson in that he can run extremely well. Judson was a great athlete, but he wasn't as gifted running the ball as Tyrese is.&uot;

In an effort to employ a balanced offensive attack, Thornton and the Eagles will look to utilize Wingard's legs and his arm.

&uot;We're going to run a spread offense and try to be as balanced as we can be with that,&uot; Thornton said. &uot;I like having Tyrese back there under center because he has the ability to stretch the field with his arm and also to use his legs to get into lanes and pick up some yardage that way. We're definitely going to try and use his arms and his legs on offense. We think he's the quarterback of the future for us here and we're excited to get him out on the field and see what he can do.”