Howard and Ortega face off in battle of D1 prospects

It’s rare in the Ches-Mont League to get a matchup between two Division 1 quarterback prospects.

It’s even more unique when they are in the same class.

In this year’s first edition of “Game of the Year” in the Ches-Mont National Division, Friday, that is what fans will get as junior quarterbacks, Ricky Ortega of Coatesville and Will Howard of Downingtown West, square off for the second time in their careers.

“I know there’s motivation for both quarterbacks,” Coatesville coach Matt Ortega said. “They’re both Division 1 athletes and they play multiple sports so you know they’re competitors. I’m sure both of them are looking at each other’s numbers every week and I’m sure both of them are pushing each other.”

The numbers point to a pair of explosive offenses. Ortega leads the area in passer rating (223.3) with 1,134 yards, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions. Howard is second in rating (181.2) with 1,265 yards, 12 TDs and two interceptions.

Most importantly, the Red Raiders and Whippets are 6-0 and Friday night’s game at Coatesville will have huge league and playoff seeding implications. 

All eyes will be on this game, and most of those eyes will be locked in to the quarterback showdown.

“(Howard’s) got a big arm and from last year to this year he’s gotten a little smarter after getting a year of experience,” Ricky Ortega said. “I respect his game.”

“It’s big motivation,” Ortega added. “We’re both great quarterbacks and I feel like I’m the better quarterback and I want to go out and show that and lead my team to victory. Them being rivals just adds to it.”

While Ortega is in his third year as a starting QB, Howard is flourishing in his second season behind center. No doubt the pace Ortega has set has prodded the junior Whippet.

“(Ortega’s) a really good player,” Howard said. “I have all the respect for Ricky. It motivates me to outplay him and to play to my full potential. It presents another challenge and pushes me even harder to prove to myself and everyone else that I can do what I can do.”

In order this to truly become a great rivalry, Howard’s Whippets will have to improve on last year’s efforts. A young and inexperienced West squad got ran out of Kottmeyer Stadium to the tune of 42-7.

Statistically it was Howard’s worst game and it has not gone forgotten for the 6-foot-4 thrower.

“It was an ugly game and we couldn’t get anything going,” Howard said. “It’s definitely motivation to prove to to myself and my teammates we can give them a better game. Stats don’t usually matter to me, but if I’m not helping my team get the win, it’s not what I want to do. I don’t think I did that last year and I’m prepared to do that this year.”

Coatesville is 30-4 with Ricky Ortega as the starting QB, all while going undefeated against Ches-Mont foes in that span.

Ortega is poised to smash the Chester County all-time passing mark held by Downingtown East’s Pat Devlin, who threw for 8,162 yards. Ortega is already at 6,576 yards with 83 touchdowns to only 14 interceptions. He also has 1,552 yards and 28 TDs on the ground.

As a result, the 5-foot-11 dual threat has received nine Division 1 offers, including Air Force Academy, Army and Villanova. Morgan State has offered Ortega and Howard, who also has offers from Rutgers and Yale.

“They have different skill sets and you can tell that by the schools looking at them,” West coach Mike Milano said. “Ricky is a game-changer. He’s as good at running as he is at throwing. He’s the engine that makes that team go. Will is a different kid. He’s a classic thrower and he’s a very good athlete. I don’t think he gets the credit he should for that, but I’m sure they get fired up to play each other.”

The way high school football has advanced in the past five to 10 years is clear as day watching Ortega and Howard. The run-pass option offense has almost become a necessity in today’s game arguably no one in District 1 does it better than Ortega, who’s in his third year of it.

Having the skill kids around him like receiver Dapree Bryant, Division 1 running back recruit, Aaron Young, and his brother Avery Young, who’s currently starting as a freshman at Rutgers, among others only amplifies Ortega’s effectiveness. 

Even with the abundance of firepower, all things go through Ortega, who dictates the majority of what the offense does depending on what he reads from the defense. Ortega has added 417 yards and seven scores on the ground this season.

“The last three weeks, especially, he’s done a great job of running the offense,” Matt Ortega said. “He’s done so well at making his pulls and reads.”

The RPO offense looks a little different at West, with a variety of formations, motions and route combinations as to keep defenses disciplined. Howard only has 37 yards and a TD on the ground thus far, but he is about as perfect a fit in Milano’s offense as you could find. Don’t let the rush yards fool you, Howard’s athleticism continually extends plays and his prototypical QB frame has led to an explosion of offense.

The Whippets’ offense is third in the area, putting up 38.5 points per game, behind Coatesville (45.7) and Downingtown East (42). Senior receiver Dan Byrnes (760 total yards, 10 offensive TDs) and junior running back Tyriq Lewis (738, 18) have become household names in West’s revival.

“It expands the pass game,” Milano said of Howard’s progression. “There’s so much more, throwing-wise, we can do, especially taking the top off the defense.”

Howard recalls his first football game on the 80-pound team at Marsh Creek. He was a tad overweight but the opposing coach said he could still play, just not at quarterback. Since, the scale, nor most defenses, have been able to stop Howard from thriving at QB.

Ortega was destined to be a big-time signal-caller, as well, playing the position all the way through his time with the Coatesville Kid Raiders. If the Downingtown Young Whippets were the bane of his pee-wee football existence, Ortega has been just that as West comes knocking again.

“On the Kid Raiders we usually won every game but I never beat Downingtown,” Ortega said. “Since I’ve benign high school I haven’t lost to either Downingtown, so that’s a goal, to stay undefeated against them.”