It seems as though every football team revolves around its quarterback. The quarterback is often the leader of the team. They also get the most attention and this article will be no different. These are our top 5 quarterbacks in the Summit Athletic Conference entering the 2019 season.

1: Luke Goode- Homestead

Throwing for 1,288 yards (11 TDs, 4 Int.) as a sophomore is one thing. Throwing for over 1,000 yards in a season where you shared time with another quarterback in Jake Archbold is quite impressive. It gets even better when you realize he has prototype size 6’6” 190 lbs! Now this year, Archbold is concentrating on the defensive side of the ball at Free Safety, you can expect Goode to thrive and put up numbers similar to Norman Knapke (3,190 yards passing, 37 TDs) last year at Bishop Luers. Goode will have Braeden Hardwick RB, Griffin Little WR (coming off a knee injury), Jared Kistler WR, Archbold WR, and Cam Rogers WR to help him accumulate numbers. Archbold on defense hopes to be a game-changer for Sparty.

2: Jon Barnes Jr.- Snider

Statistically the best returning QB from a year ago, Barnes should have no problem putting up even bigger numbers this season. He threw for 1,402 yards last season with the highest completion percentage of any Quarterback with more than 100 attempts from a year ago at 61%. The senior will have plenty of weapons to help him in this campaign (Drew Sims WR, Alonzo Derrick WR, Lenny Bennett RB, Kameron Trotter RB/LB, Giannini Belizaire DT, Jashawn Underwood DB). Barnes is not asked to run often, but when he does he’s efficient averaging 4.7 yards-per-carry for 270 total yards and four touchdowns.

3: Brenden Lytle- Bishop Dwenger

The defending 4A state champs and defending SAC champs will return their junior quarterback this season. Dwenger didn’t throw the ball that much last season, however when they did Lytle was smart with the football, only throwing two interceptions to 11 touchdowns. His completion percentage was a bit low, at 45%, but his QB rating was 94.5. Lytle started the season at cornerback and led the team with three interceptions. On the basketball court, Brendan started as a Freshman at guard, and he’s a utility player on the baseball team. So with 10 months under his belt as QB1, he’s poised to make a jump for the defending champs.

4: Brandon Davis- Concordia

Yet another sophomore a year ago, junior Brandon Davis should be the starter this year for the Cadets. His numbers from last season are hard to interpret since he was a backup to senior quarterback Jake Byrd. But in two games as the starting QB, Davis showed the ability to extend plays with his feet while keeping his eyes downfield. He had a 70% completion percentage on 30 attempts. His QB rating was a SAC best at 145.6. With limited experience, he should be a good field general for Concordia this season who brings back offensive weapons in junior Amir Drew RB, seniors Jeren Kindig WR, Jalen Vanderbosch WR, Jaden Parnin WR, and the teams leading receiver from a year ago in junior Tyler Grossman. Coach Tim Manigal should have a lot of fun with his “finesse” team.

5: Jeff Becker- Carroll

There is perhaps no quarterback getting as much hype entering the season as Becker. He’ll be one of the youngest quarterbacks in the conference this year and will go through his fair share of mistakes and great plays. This season for the Chargers will be almost completely dictated by quarterback play, which could put a lot of pressure on the sophomore. But, based purely on talent, he should be in store for a great season.

Honorable Mention(s): Ronald Collins III – North Side

Collins will be added to the extensive list of junior QB’s starting this year in the SAC. Last season’s 38% completion percentage and 11-9 TD-Int. ratio isn’t very pleasing to the eye, but again he was only a sophomore and plays for a team that had its 20-game losing streak snapped last season. He was also the team’s second-leading rusher with 670 yards. Bringing back All-SAC First Team Running Back Alex Holliday-Robinson (1,214 yards, 6.4 ypc) should help Collins and the Legends keep opposing defenses honest.

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