Spring practice ended the way it began for the PSU football team, at least in one respect.
    
There is still plenty of competition for starting quarterback and Offensive Coordinator Bruce Barnum doubts he will settle on one until much nearer the season opener at remodeled JELD-WEN Field Sept. 3 against Southern Oregon University.
     
“I feel really good about our quarterback situation, we have four quarterbacks who can play and we have David Jones coming in this fall and we're very high on him.  We may also have a walk on or two this fall,” said Barnum. His stable of QBs includes seniors Connor Kavanaugh, Drew Hubel and Justin Engstrom - all of whom have started games at PSU. In addition is redshirt freshman Josh Milhollin, as well as Jones, a high school quarterback who signed with the Vikings this year.
     
One thing is for certain, the competition will be fierce.
     
Interestingly, two of the candidates who will be fiercely competing for the job are best friends, and both feel that the competition between them has just strengthened the bond of that friendship.
      
Seniors Connor Kavanaugh and Drew Hubel were exceptional high school athletes. Hubel led his Corvallis High School team to the 5A state championship in 2006 and Kavanaugh, out of Lincoln High School, was 6A 1st team All-State. They went head-to-head for the North and South teams in the 2007 Les Schwab Bowl All-Star Game.
      
They met on a recruiting trip to the Viking campus in December of 2006, but were aware of each other before then.
      
“Quarterbacks sort of keep up on each other,” said Kavanaugh.  “I knew of his football skills, that he probably had one of the best arms in the state, that he was a successful quarterback and had won a state championship.  That says a lot about you as a player.”
    
Hubel's initial impression of Kavanaugh was formed as he watched the end of the 2005 state high school 6A championship game.
    
With a few seconds to play and with Lincoln trailing by a point or two, Hubel recalled, “on the last play of the game, Connor threw a perfect pass to a receiver who was wide open for a touchdown.  The receiver dropped the ball.  Everybody was in shock, but what I saw was Connor sprinting down the field.  He was the first guy to the receiver.  He picks him up and pats him on the back…it's going to be okay, you'll get it next time.  That's just him.  That's good character.  It just struck me.”
     
Knowing they'd both committed to PSU, they next connected while staying in the same dorm during practice for the 2007 Les Schwab Bowl, in which they were opposing quarterbacks.
     
Neither can remember the score, although Hubel remembered “he did well, he got the MVP, I didn't play so well,” and the north won the game.  Still, Kavanaugh recalled that he was “rooting for (Hubel) to do well.”
    
Then, when they entered PSU, they were assigned as roommates along with fellow freshman offensive lineman Adam Kleffner.
     
“We were roommates so we got a chance to get to know each other.  I've always been friends with those competing with me for the starting job.  He seemed like a fine person.  The more time we spent together, the better we got to know each other and the more we liked each other,” said Hubel.
     
On the field, of course, they had a lot in common and have developed into each others' biggest fan (well, perhaps with the exception of Hubel's wife Jacquelyn, his high school sweetheart who he married last summer, and Kavanaugh's long time girlfriend, Lexi Bishop, from the women's basketball team).
    
As they played together, Kavanaugh came to admire Hubel's knowledge of the game.  “He has a great football mind.  He's always thinking of ways to exploit the defense.  He's a great overall football player.”
    
As did Barnum, Kavanaugh also raved about Hubel's ability to throw the ball.
    
“I've pretty much seen all his throws… in games and practices.  He's probably got one of the best arms I've ever seen.  I remember one unbelievable throw at Weber State when we were freshmen. It was a Poco route…he threw a 40-yard pass straight down the sideline to Tremayne Kirkland for a touchdown.  It was one of the best throws I've ever seen,” he said.
    
On the other hand, Hubel likes Kavanaugh's attitude and spirit on the field.
    
“He's not the tallest guy on the field (6'0”). He's not your prototypical quarterback. You look at him and say he can't play quarterback.  But he has so many intangibles, stuff that a lot of people don't have, things that make him special.  He has heart and can help make the people around him play better,” Hubel said.
       
All PSU quarterbacks have a specialty, added Barnum.  “Drew is tall (6'5”).  He just looks like a quarterback and has a big time arm…his trajectory, speed and accuracy…whoever coached him did one hell of a job.  Connor slings the ball from his hip, doesn't have a great arm and he knows that.  But he's a scrapper and he can throw falling down or standing on his head, you saw how productive he was last year.”
     
Hubel is “cool, like the guy on top of the Heisman trophy.  His style is perfect.  The mechanics are perfect.  Connor is still our 'slingin general'.”  In terms of their styles, “they're Oscar and Felix (from the Odd Couple).”
   
Both are great leaders, said Barnum.  “They're both goal-oriented and very organized,  in terms of short term football goals and long term life goals.  Their parents get the credit for that.  They've set them on the right track.  The way they act, the way they conduct themselves, it's all a testament to their parents.  All I do is throw out the balls.”
     
In terms of personality types, they're very different, Barnum said.
     
“Drew is a brainiac on the field, Connor is going to react and rely on his athleticism.  Both are very productive in their own way,” he said.
      
From a personality standpoint, Kavanaugh acknowledges that they're different—“and that's what makes us friends.  We've learned from each other.  I think Drew is more analytical. He's a big thinker and carries a 3.9 GPA.  I'm kind of 'go with the flow'."
      
Hubel describes Kavanaugh as “just a good guy.  He's someone people can trust.  He's enjoyable to be around.  He doesn't do wrong things.  He's dependable in all things.”
      
Hubel's approach is “it's all about the team,” said Kavanaugh.  “With a lot of quarterbacks at this level, it's about the personal accomplishments.  With him, it's the team success, about team wins.  He's supportive of whatever is going on.  He's such a good teammate because he's so unselfish.”
      
Competing for the quarterback position builds strong bonds between the competitors, Hubel believes.   “If you're competing for a job and one of you gets it, the other isn't part of the picture anymore.  Here, if I'm not the guy, I'm still part of the team.  I'm still giving my all and competing with him.  That competition makes him better and makes the team better. I've pushed him and that's helped make the team better.”
    
Off the field, the two like the same music and say they share a sense of humor.
    
“We're both hard workers and dedicated to making each other be as good as we can be,” Kavanaugh said.     
      
They both also play guitar (sometimes as a duet), Kavanaugh more seriously.  But, Kavanaugh believes “if Drew had put in the kind of time I did, he'd be better than me.”
      
Perhaps something Kavanaugh said best sums up the value of such a close relationship.
     
“Being with him has changed my college experience.  Having a guy my age with the same core values, the hard work, putting the team ahead of yourself…it has helped me evolve into a man.  I've had a guy I can rely on, someone to take the challenge with.”