Things got testy in Mineral Wells, Texas earlier in June, with nine members of the Mineral Wells football team briefly quitting the team in protest when the team’s head coach named his son the team’s starting quarterback. Now, exactly a week after a number of the team’s leaders walked away, all returned when the coach backed down from his previous decision that his son would serve as starting quarterback without allowing another potential quarterback compete for the position.

As reported by the Mineral Wells Index, nine members of the Mineral Wells varsity team turned in their equipment in protest over the treatment of quarterback Trent Guinn, who was summarily dispatched into a role as a backup slot receiver when coach Gerald Perry named his son, Tristan Perry, as the team’s starting quarterback. The nine players, led by junior running back Johnny Morales, told the Mineral Wells school board that Guinn had never been given a fair chance at earning the starting role, and insisted that the two prospective passers should be allowed to compete for the starting job on an equal footing.

One of the team’s senior leaders, linebacker Max Grider, offered a lengthy statement to the Index about what motivated he and his teammates’ sudden departure:

“We talked to Perry about it (Wednesday),” Grider told the Index, saying he was speaking on behalf of the group. “We all voiced our opinions that we should have two quarterbacks at least in pads to have a chance to compete; don’t make a decision just yet. Don’t move to slot receiver where he can’t compete. We were in a bad situation where we couldn’t really do anything to fight it. For us to be heard, we felt like the only thing we had left to do is quit. “We’re not asking for Trent to be named the starter. We just want them to have a chance to compete. Seven-on-seven is not football, you really can’t decide anything based on that. We don’t have anything against Tristan at all. Trent may or may not be better . But it seems like won’t even let it play out. We don’t want to have that in our football program. We’re a family, we stick together. “It’s really emotional for us right now,” Grider continued. “It’s hard to talk about, really. “We’re not just acting out of anger because our friend didn’t get picked. He didn’t have a chance. There was never an opportunity for him. If they would have named Tristan the starter during two-a-days when they both have pads on, I would have had no problem with it. But to do this to where they can’t compete with each other just isn’t the right way to do it.”

With the core players set on walking away from the program, the elder Perry took the drastic decision to step away from all the team’s offensive responsibilities. The Index reported that he planned to divest himself of all offensive decisions, instead handing those responsibilities — including the selection of the starting quarterback — to offensive coordinator Chris Olson.

“It was announced to us that Trent would get a chance at QB,” Morales told the Index. “We are working on a healing process with the team. Right now, we are all just trying to get focused on the season and bring the family back together.”

That coming together will require real forgiveness and healing. Luckily for the entire Mineral Wells program, there are still months ahead before the 2015 season kicks off. Regardless of who ends up as starting quarterback, the team may need the time to reach an uneasy peace once again.