NORTHSIDE’S WISE BOUNCES BACK WITH BIG WIN AGAINST SHS; EYEING DEEPER PLAYOFF RUN

Contrary to popular belief, Northside senior quarterback Derrick Wise didn’t pick up his nickname “Deuce” because of the number 2 that adorns his Grizzlies’ jersey. Instead, he got that nickname nearly a decade ago because of his family connection, as Wise shares the same name as his father. “It happened when I was in like first or second grade playing travel baseball, and my coach actually gave it to me, just because I was Derrick the second,” the younger Derrick Wise said. “And then they started calling me Deuce and it just stuck, basically.” At the time, Wise wore No. 5, but eventually gravitated toward No. 2 to fit with his nickname. He made another transition, focusing mainly on football after playing a number of sports in his younger days. “I just liked the feeling of scoring touchdowns really,” Wise, who also played basketball, baseball and soccer, said. “With basketball and baseball, I really didn’t get the same feeling that I did with football, so that’s really what I liked about it.” Safe to say, “Deuce” has been on the loose since concentrating on football. A running back when he came to Northside as a sophomore, Wise (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) was named the starting quarterback prior to his junior season and helped lead the Grizzlies to the 7A quarterfinals. He’s putting up more solid numbers in his second season as the starting signal-caller. Wise has completed 79-of-113 passes for 1,145 and 12 touchdowns and also leads the team in rushing with 736 yards on 142 carries and 11 TDs. “I just think being in control of the offense (has helped him his senior season),” Northside coach Mike Falleur said. “Understanding his role, understanding the decisions he has to make running and throwing. The whole thing’s better; he’s just so much smoother, he’s just so much more at ease and confident in what he’s doing. ... He’s just a better decision maker now than a year ago.” Two weeks ago, though, the decisions Wise made weren’t necessarily the right ones, as in a loss to Cabot, Wise threw four costly interceptions. With the Grizzlies tumbling to their third straight loss and a big game against rival Southside looming, Wise needed some advice. So he talked to Falleur, who basically told his quarterback to just move forward. “He told me to focus on the next game and not worry about what happened last week, you know you can’t change that,” Wise said. “So coming into the Southside game, it was practicing hard and knowing what I’ve got to do to not cause any turnovers for the team and come out with the win.” And Wise came up big for the Grizzlies, accounting for 140 yards of total offense and scoring three rushing TDs in a 23-13 win, Northside’s third straight in the series against the Mavericks. He also completed 7-of-10 passes, and didn’t throw a single interception. “It really wasn’t anything different, it was staying calm and knowing that I have people around me who can help, and that it was just going to be a team effort to win the game,” Wise said. “Everyone has a bad game every once in a while. So you just come back and play harder.” His quarterback coach, Chad Frazier, also believed Wise was capable of bouncing back going into the Southside game. “He had a great week of practice last week, his attitude was great, he was doing everything right and we knew going into the week that he was going to have a great week,” Frazier, also the Grizzlies’ offensive coordinator, said. “Deuce has been a guy that we’ve relied on heavily and he’s done nothing but produce and he’s done a great job from last year to this year on being more thorough with the offense and picking up on the things that we’re doing and game planning and making calls at the line of scrimmage. A lot of times, we give him options to make calls and get us in the right play and based on what we’re seeing, and he’s done a great job.” Wise, who has a 3.3 grade-point average, also exerts himself away from football and the classroom as he spends nearly an hour every day working out. Sometimes, he’ll work out before school; other times, after practice. “Basically (work out) every day, and I would do something different,” Wise said. “If it was chest one day, then legs another day or speed training one day.” He’s also received attention from several Division I colleges. Wise, who was one of 27 Grizzlies honored on Senior Night prior to the win against Southside, will get to take to the turf at Mayo-Thompson Stadium at least one more time. This Friday, the Grizzlies face Van Buren in the first round of the 7A playoffs and a rematch of a 46-21 Northside win two month ago, a game where Wise may have put on his best performance. Wise had 337 yards of total offense while throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. He also caught a TD pass from receiver J.T. Thorne. The Grizzlies are wanting a similar performance this week and beyond from “Deuce.” Wise himself says he’s hasn’t accomplished what he wants to accomplish. “Not yet since we’re still in the season and just starting the playoffs, and of course the big goal is to win a state championship, so that’s really what I would like to have happen for my season to be completed,” Wise said.

NORTHSIDE’S WISE BOUNCES BACK WITH BIG WIN AGAINST SHS; EYEING DEEPER PLAYOFF RUN

BUCK RINGGOLD

Times Record | 11/8/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Aaron Shaffer