MINERAL WELLS, Texas — Nine players, including seven projected starters, for the Mineral Wells Rams high school football team turned in their equipment Thursday over a controversy concerning the Rams’ quarterback competition.

Junior running back Johnny Morales, junior all-state cornerback Cameron Weiss, senior linebacker Max Grider, junior linebacker Stefon Sandoval, junior defensive tackle Andy Garcia, junior safety Kaine Carraway, senior receiver Domingo Tamez, junior safety Derek King and junior quarterback Trent Guinn told the Mineral Wells Index they opted to quit because upcoming junior Tristan Perry had been named the Rams’ starting quarterback while Guinn was moved to backup slot receiver, “without a chance to compete for the job.”

The reported decision and departures come while the Rams, still in spring football, are currently competing in seven-on-seven games against area schools.

After talking to Rams head coach Gerald Perry about the situation, the players said they believed the only way they could make their voices heard was to walk away from the program.

“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 [Guinn] 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 [than Tristan]. But it seems like [Coach Perry] 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.”

Perry has so far declined to make a public comment about the departures.

Clint Foster writes for the Mineral Wells (Texas) Index.