NORMAN — Channing Meyer can do it all for Norman North, or at least it seems that way at times.
The senior has filled a number of roles for the Timberwolves over the past two seasons. He played most of the season at quarterback last year and this year has spent time doing everything possible on offense - running, catching and throwing the ball.
And, if being all over the field on offense wasn’t enough, Meyer has now completed the cycle, taking the field for the defense. And, heading into Friday’s state title game against Jenks, the Timberwolves will need all of Meyer’s skills.
It’s been a long journey for Meyer to get to this point. Because his father served in the navy, Meyer spent his entire childhood moving around, including a stint in Japan, before finally landing in Norman.
At North, he started his junior year at wide receiver on the varsity, while quarterbacking the junior varsity. But after starter Peyton Gavras went out with a concussion, Meyer took the reins and led the T-Wolves to the playoffs.
That set him up for a position battle entering this season. While Gavras earned the majority of the snaps, Meyer has seen plenty of time at quarterback, serving primarily as an option quarterback due to his ability to both run and throw the ball.
Even if he’s not under center, Meyer is always on the field. He’s one of the T-Wolves’ leading receivers, with more than 550 yards and three touchdowns on the season. He also has added three scores running the ball and another two through the air.
It’s an impressive resume, but that’s not the end of the story. As the playoffs have gone on, Meyer has made more and more appearances on the other side of the ball, playing in the defensive secondary at critical times in the postseason. That includes last week’s semifinals game against Owasso, where he came up with a fourth-down interception and broke up another pass on a crucial play late in the game.
“It’s something we first started working on [in Week 10] at Lawton Eisenhower,” Meyer said. “I wasn’t expecting it when the coaches brought it to me, but I was excited.”
Meyer embraced yet another role for the Timberwolves, and he’s excelled at it since, getting better in each game of the playoffs.
“Channing is just a good football player, and he does a lot of different things for us,” coach Wade Standley said. “He’s not in there all the time on defense, but when he is he makes a lot of big plays.”
Not that the transition has been easy. Against Owasso last week, Meyer intercepted a fourth down pass at the two-yard line rather than bat it down and give North the ball farther down the field.
“Honestly, I was just in an offensive mindset,” he said. “I caught the ball and saw the pylon, and I was thinking touchdown.”
For North, it’s a small price to pay for getting Meyer on the field. He more than made up for the play later in the game, when he knocked down a pass in the endzone that would have tied the game for the Rams.
As for the strain of playing so many positions, including a new role on defense, Meyer isn’t worried.
“It’s a blast,” he said. “It’s way better than sitting on the sidelines and watching. Every athlete wants to be out there on every play they can, and I’m lucky I get the chance to do that.”
Corbin HoslerFollow me @Chosler88chosler@normantranscript.com
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