Ron Seibel: Giving due to signal callers
When looking at the top players in Middle Georgia and who the big colleges sign, it's usually a defensive player, wide receiver or offensive lineman getting the attention.
Sure, the area has many players who have enjoyed success at the next level. Defensive backs, linebackers, linemen on both sides of the ball and receivers dominate the list.
On occasion, there's a quarterback who does make that list. It doesn't happen very often, and sometimes they go to the next level based on defensive skill instead of offensive prowess. Or, in the case of Wilcox County's Nick Marshall, the high school quarterback started out his college days on defense before getting a shot under center.
With the number of misdirection offenses run in Middle Georgia, it's not surprising that high school quarterbacks around here move on to the next level as defensive backs. Colleges want players who can throw the football, who can take a snap under center and operate just as well as from out of the shotgun or wildcat.
There is, however, an increasing number of Middle Georgia high school programs that have offenses that are opening things up a bit. Jones County and Houston County have found success with their fast-paced offenses, and other teams are picking up on that. Central, for one, is enjoying some positive results with a run-pass mix, and even Barney Hester, the longtime master of the misdirection at Tattnall Square, has an offense at Howard this season that is putting it in the air.
A few thoughts about some of the top quarterbacks in Middle Georgia I've seen in person, in no particular order. I haven't seen Houston County's Jake Fromm yet, but I hope to catch the Alabama commitment sometime during the postseason:
Derrick Evans, Central: The senior has led Central through a rebuilding process that has the Chargers in contention for a playoff spot for the second straight year. Evans has shown quickness on his feet, making something out of nothing when the pocket collapses. Evans has thrown for 1,271 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 314 yards and seven scores. His 51.3 completion percentage isn't overwhelming, but his most impressive stat is the number of interceptions he has thrown this season -- zero. He has flown under the recruiting radar, and he could be a low-risk, high-reward pickup for the right college program.
Courvoisier King, Howard: A senior, King has helped drive the Huskies' transition to a more open offense. He has thrown for 1,409 yards and 15 touchdowns, just about doubling his yardage total from the entire 2014 season, and he has run for 331 yards and five touchdowns. Although Howard lost top running back JaQwun Stinson to a knee injury, King still has a couple of good passing targets in Alphonso Stephens (who is on pace for a 1,000-yard season) and Jerin Means. King has pressed a bit at times under pressure (52.6 completion percentage, six interceptions), but he's a solid, effective quarterback when his feet are set. Like Evans, he's flying under the radar on the recruiting front.
Savion Knowlton, Westside: A junior, Knowlton is in a Westside program that has not been shy about throwing the football under head coach Spoon Risper. He's a first-year starter, and he has gone through the occasional growing pain or two, but he has tremendous upside. Knowlton has thrown for 1,179 yards and run for 282, throwing for 16 touchdowns and running for six more. His completion percentage is slightly better than Evans and King at 54.8 percent, but he has thrown nine interceptions. His best performance was a six-touchdown game (four passing, two rushing) in a 42-21 win Oct. 10 at Jordan.
Jake Johnston, Mary Persons: The senior provides good, solid leadership to a young offense, and the result is one of three unbeaten teams remaining in Middle Georgia -- along with Northside and Dodge County -- heading into the final three weeks of the regular season. He set the tone in the opener by leading the Bulldogs through a double-overtime victory over a Jackson team that controls its own destiny in the GHSA Region 2-AAA title race. Johnston doesn't throw it a bunch -- 878 yards and nine touchdowns -- but he has plenty of run support to go along with a 58.2 completion percentage and only three interceptions.
Tobias Oliver, Northside: The exception to the quarterbacks I've mentioned so far, Oliver gets more things done with his feet than with his arm. His execution of the read option is among the best I've seen on the high school level, and the way he ran the ball last week was one of the reasons why the Eagles rolled to a 58-14 win over Warner Robins. For the record, the junior has thrown it for 597 yards and four touchdowns (55.4 completion percentage, three interceptions), but that's not as important as 595 yards and seven touchdowns he has recorded by keeping the ball himself and turning upfield. With junior Desean Dinkins and sophomore Marcus Jolly complementing him in the backfield, there's every reason to believe that the Eagles will remain at the top of the list of state title contenders for the next couple of seasons.
Bradley Hunnicutt, Jones County: I haven't seen him this year, but his work last year as a sophomore was impressive. He's a high-percentage passer, making the most out of what the defense gives him. A lot of credit here goes to the Jones County coaching staff as the Greyhounds' receivers run some of the sharpest routes I've seen on the high school level. He has completed 66.2 percent of his passes this season, racking up 1,429 yards to go with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions.
For comparison, here are Fromm's stats: 1,914 yards, 17 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 53.5 completion percentage. Again, I hope to see him play during the postseason.
All of these quarterbacks will either make the postseason or are involved in tight races for playoff spots. They're making the game fun to watch.
Contact Ron Seibel at 744-4222 or rseibel@macon.com
This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Ron Seibel: Giving due to signal callers ."