Column: Experience a key for Quarterbacks
In most life endeavors, experience matters. The quality of being in situations before and seeing things more clearly is a big advantage in life and on the football field.
The quarterback position in high school sports is no different. The best teams usually feature a QB who saw game action as a sophomore, junior and now is ready to reach his full potential as a senior.
This is not to say a team cannot win with an underclassman at the signal caller position, but more times than not, a three-year starter at the helm of a team’s offense is the desired method of operation.
For every Ricky Oretga, who dominated as a freshman, there are countless underclassmen quarterbacks who were severely overmatched as a newcomer to the position.
The position is not only one of studying game films but a position of leadership, whether the players like it or not. Players look to the position as the leader of the team, someone to rally behind and the quarterback is the man to galvanize an entire roster.
This past week saw three third-year QBs lead their teams to wins. Coatesville’s Harrison Susi, Jamy Jenkins of Downingtown East and Oxford’s Dustin Long.
All three are very talented players. I was lucky enough to see Susi in person last week as he led the Red Raiders to a 28-6 win over Pennsbury.
He threw for 189 yards and a touchdown and gained another 102 yards on the ground on just seven carries, scoring twice more. But, it was the things that do not show up in the box score that separated the veteran quarterbacks from the ones taking the first snaps of their careers.
On his touchdown throw, Susi was hit almost the same time he let the ball go. He knew he was going to get blasted, but hung in anyway and got the throw off.
In the second half, when the Coatesville offense seemed to bog down, it was Susi going up and down the sideline imploring his offensive mates to stay focused and positive.
Like it or not, quarterback is the most important position on the field and you cannot win without a good experienced one.
There are many instances where a talented sophomore or junior can win games, but even in those instances, a head coach will likely tell you they are going to be better players when their senior season comes around.
It is the ability to see the entire field and not be surprised when the defense throws something different than the scouting suggests. Coatesville,
Downingtown East and Oxford all have three-year starters as senior QBs and when you talk to all there head coaches, the first thing they talk about is the experienced quarterbacks they have.
There’s a talent differential in all players and no two QBs are the same, but in high school football, teams with an experienced senior quarterback usually have the highest expectations and the most hope for a successful season.
They have been in the program the longest, they have gotten the most reps over the years and they are ready to lead, either vocally or by example or hopefully, both ways.
All eyes are on the quarterback and the ones who are most comfortable in that fish bowl are the ones that are usually ready to lead their respective team to a winning season.
