ining up side by side, in the glaring sun and heavy humidity, the quarterbacks synchronize their steps.

Seymour football coach Josh Shattuck blurts ‘hut’ and all seven players come off the snap, shuffle their feet in unison and mimic a running play.

“Again,” Shattuck says, as he paces in front of the athletes breaking down each player’s technique.

The boys return to their starting positions and repeat.

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On Saturday, the Seymour football program conducted a quarterback technique clinic for third- through 12th-graders at Bulleit Stadium.

This year, instead of breaking the camp into multiple days, the Owls hosted one six hour session.

At this year’s clinic, 13 kids worked to improve on their quarterback skills.

“It’s a little bit of a different structure, we’ve done multi-day camps before, but we wanted to have a more comprehensive time with them,” Shattuck said. “The goal of this (clinic) is work more on individual development, not our (varsity) system. Arm mechanics and camaraderie playing the position. It’s a little more relaxed because we don’t have the other positions and we’re not working on plays with other skill positions. Our third graders work on almost the same drills as a senior.”

Shattuck was joined by Landon Grove, a former player from his previous coaching job at Gladwin Community Schools in Michigan, and by Owls wide receivers coach Jeff Klopf.

Grove currently plays quarterback at NCAA Division II Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.

He will be a redshirt sophomore this season.

“The earlier you can learn the better,” Grove said. “If I had an opportunity to learn this stuff at a younger age it would have been awesome. We’re teaching them stuff that will help make them a better offense.

“I hope they leave with a desire to get better for Seymour. Hopefully they can learn a lot and continue to develop as they go through the system.”

Klopf also brought a stout quarterback résumé to the clinic.

As a three-year starter at Montrose High School in Montrose, Michigan, Klopf led his team to three consecutive 9-0 regular seasons. Klopf then played at Saginaw Valley State University where he earned multiple awards, including First Team All-Conference, player of the week (six times), and MVP two years in a row.

After college, Klopf singed a free agent deal and played with the Cleveland Browns as a wide receiver.

“You always have your eye for the next talented guy coming up. We’ve struggled here (on varsity), from a talent standpoint and try to help the kids fit into the program,” Klopf said of the camp. “There’s a few good athletes and you try to pinpoint, especially with the seventh and eighth grades, what they will be able to do.”

Klopf said that quarterbacks for the Owls need to have a diverse skill-set.

“In our offense, they’re not just a quarterback but also a running back,” Klopf said. “They have to be able to put on many hats. We ask our quarterbacks to be dynamic. They need to be able to throw, run and sometimes catch the ball. Whatever they need to do to help the team succeed.

“What we’re trying to do is help get them focus and organized, which can be the biggest challenge with the youth kids. We’re working on the little things, like footwork and technique with throwing the ball.”

For incoming eighth-grader Brendan Smith, the camp offered a chance to hone-in on the little things that make up one of the most focal positions on the field.

“I came to get better and further myself to help the team,” Smith said. I’ve played quarterback for about two years. I like being able to help control an offense. I’ve learned how to improve on my throwing mechanics and get the ball to a spot quicker as well as how to be more of a leader.”