Smyrna High quarterback Nolan Henderson has not been cleared to start practicing again, coach Mike Judy said on Monday.
Henderson left Saturday’s semifinal victory over William Penn on a stretcher with an injury to his head and neck area late in the second quarter. The Eagles rallied for a 30-13 win to reach the Division I state football final against top seed Salesianum (Saturday, 1 p.m. at Delaware Stadium).
Judy said he was able to talk to Henderson on the phone Saturday night.
“He was doing well,” Judy said. “I made sure I reiterated how much our team rallied around him.”
Henderson is day-to-day as he recovers from his injury and Judy said it’s still uncertain if he will be able to play against Salesianum.
When Henderson left the game the Eagles shifted from their spread offense to either a Wildcat formation or what’s called their earthquake package — a tightly packed formation they typically use for two-point conversions. Sophomore running back Will Knight rushed for more than 270 yards and scored all four touchdowns for Smyrna with Henderson out.
Sophomore Ryan McNatt is Henderson’s backup. He did play several snaps for the Eagles in the second half against William Penn and had one carry for 16 yards.
Henderson, a junior, has thrown for 3098 yards this season with 34 touchdowns.
“We’ll have a plan in place for both situations,” Judy said about the gameplan for Saturday. “If he’s playing with us, then we’re back to our normal offense. If not, it’s going to be the Will Knight show. The plan is in place but we’re hoping he’s healthy.”