Football
Reggie Hayes: Summit Athletic Conference overloaded with talented, playmaking receivers
Who is the best receiver in the Summit Athletic Conference? Which team has the best duo? The only inarguable answer to those questions: It’s too early to tell.
But, I have my suspicions.
I covered the Homestead vs. Concordia game last week and saw receivers galore, led by Homestead’s Trevin Taylor and Concordia’s Kamari Anderson-Drew. You wouldn’t be wrong to single out either one of those guys as the SAC’s best. I was impressed by both, and there’s not much to separate them today.
Taylor is a big young man at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, moves with ease and has tremendous concentration on the ball, and on where he’s at on the field. He can toe the sideline and make the catch. Or he can leap above the crowd and haul it in.
Anderson-Drew looks vastly improved from a year ago, and he was already darn good. The 6-2, 175-pound Anderson-Drew showed against Homestead he could catch in traffic, despite the defense focusing on him every play. In the open field, his spins and jukes leave defenders grasping air. He’s such a difficult player to catch or tackle.
We all know Wayne’s Craig Young and his potential, which was enough to earn a full-ride scholarship to Ohio State. He hasn’t had the opportunities within the offense yet to match the numbers of Taylor or Anderson-Drew. If his targets increase, watch out.
As for the best receiving duo, Homestead has the edge in production with Taylor and Griffin Little right now. They’re combining for 200-plus yards a game. Are they the most dangerous? That’s more difficult to say. Want a surprising candidate for toughest-to-defend receiving corps? Check out Northrop, which is clearly dedicated to air travel.
Let’s take a look at all 10 SAC schools’ duos (and trios, where there’s not a clear-cut top two):
GRIFFIN EIFERT and BLAYNE HUSTON, Bishop Dwenger
If it’s Dwenger, there’s probably an Eifert ready to get his hands on the ball and the 6-foot, 185-pound Griffin is no exception. He has a way of finding space in the defense and delivering, as he did with an opening-night touchdown in the win over Wayne and a 33-yard score against North Side.
Huston, like Eifert, is a junior with plenty of potential to grow. The 6-1, 160-pound Huston had three catches for 40 yards last Friday.
JUSTIN GASTON, CAM HEDGECOCK and JANARION MOORE, Bishop Luers
All three players make for inviting targets for quarterback Norman Knapke and it’s impossible to narrow the scope to a top two. Gaston, a 5-9 senior, has four receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown (game-winner vs. Carroll in Week 1). Hedgecock, a 5-10 sophomore, has seven receptions for 100 yards and a score. Moore, a 6-foot junior, caught four passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns, all against Wayne last week. All three are good perimeter blockers, coach Kyle Lindsay said.
“Gaston is a kid we want to move around the field to try to get matchups and the ball in his hands in space,” Lindsay said. “Hedgecock is a smooth route runner with above average speed and athleticism. Janarion is a smooth route runner as well, who has a good set of hands and the best ability on our roster to get the ball in the air.”
NATHAN HARRAH and CAMDYN CHILDERS, Carroll
Harrah is in his fourth year of playing for the Chargers and brings a veteran savvy. The 5-10 senior can split out on either side and be effective. He caught eight passes for 91 yards and a score in the win over Snider last week.
Childers, a 6-foot, 195-pound senior, transferred from Bishop Luers and his impact has been immediate. He has 12 receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown in two games.
A third receiver, 6-foot junior Layton Mitchell, caught two passes for 41 yards and a score in the Week 1 loss to Luers.
“We had the Beckers last year and, especially with Justin, people knew who to key in on,” Carroll offensive coordinator Andy Papigiannis said. “This year is kind of a grab bag. Take your pick and we have no problem going to the other side, too.”
KAMARI ANDERSON-DREW and TYLER GROSSMAN, Concordia
Anderson-Drew draws the opposing defensive coordinator’s attention all week, game plans are devised to slow him and, yet, he’s not easily slowed. He has 10 receptions for 222 yards and three touchdowns. “He’s an explosive player in the open field,” Concordia coach Tim Mannigel said.
Grossman is a 6-foot sophomore who now has two varsity games under his belt. He has four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. “He’s a versatile athlete who can play both sides of the ball,” Mannigel said. Don’t discount Jalen Vanderbosch, a 6-1 junior who is a threat in the passing game, too.
TREVIN TAYLOR and GRIFFIN LITTLE, Homestead
You want production from receivers? Look no further than the duo of Taylor and the 6-3, 210-pound junior Little. In two games, they’ve been virtually unstoppable.
Taylor has 15 receptions for 185 yards and three touchdowns and Little has 14 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns. They’re combining for 204.5 yards receiving per game.
“Both players understand how to play their position well,” Homestead coach Chad Zolman said. “They know spacing, alignment, gaining separation from defenders and how important blocking is to their team.”
Homestead has a wealth of other receivers, too, including 5-11 Conrad Keszei, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Concordia last Friday.
RJ ARMSTRONG and AUNTRAL FRANKLIN, North Side
The 5-9, 195-pound Armstrong was a second-team All-SAC tight end last year and caught a touchdown pass on fourth down against Snider in Week 1. He’s very versatile, North coach Michael Brevard said.
The 6-2 Franklin was the team’s second-leading receiver last year and went to state in long jump. He has speed to burn and caught a touchdown pass against Bishop Dwenger. “He is a tremendous student in the classroom,” Brevard said.
QUALEN PETTUS, DAVIEUN BERRY and AMARION GREEN, Northrop
Northrop’s combination must be considered a trio, not a duo, at this point because of their production.
Pettus’ size (6-3, 180) makes him a natural focal point for defenses to key on. His production makes the defenses frustrated nonetheless. Pettus, a junior, has three receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns. “He has great hands,” Northrop coach Jason Doerffler said. “He has gotten himself into great shape and can make people miss after the catch.”
Berry’s 74 career receptions make him Northrop’s all-time leader in catches and the 5-10 senior’s production is off to another strong start with seven receptions for 86 yards in two games. “Davieun has been a big playmaker for us since exploding onto the scene during his sophomore season,” Doerffler said. “He has steadily improved his route running and possesses great hands. When we need a big play, we often look to Davieun.”
Green, another 5-10 senior, has six catches for 68 yards and has scored on a reverse play, demonstrating his ability to exploit a defense.
SIMON DELLINGER and MICHAEL LEDO, Snider
Snider’s inexperience at quarterback brings with it some offensive growing pains, but the Panthers have two of the most inviting targets in the conference.
Simon Dellinger is a 6-5, 230-pound tight end and hard to tackle when he gets his hands on the ball. He has four receptions for 40 yards in two games.
“He has great hand and ball skills and can go up and get most balls thrown his way,” Snider coach Kurt Tippmann said. “He also is a key part of our run game with his ability to block on the line of scrimmage.”
Ledo is 5-7, 160 pounds and full of burst, quickness and speed. He has six receptions for 117 yards and three touchdowns. So, yes, that’s a touchdown on half of his receptions. “He has the ability to get open against most cover guys and has the ability to score anytime he touches the ball,” Tippmann said.
EVERETT MERRITT and CALEB AQUINO, South Side
While the South offense has yet to hit its stride, the potential is there with these two. Merrett is a 6-2, 176-pound two-year starter and was the team’s top receiver last season. “We are looking to get him the ball more this year,” South coach Roosevelt Norfleet said.
Aquino is a 6-1, 170-pound first-year starter as a senior but has the potential to be an impact player. “We are looking for him to put up some good numbers,” Norfleet said.
CRAIG YOUNG, AARIK ADAMS and CAMERON CHAMBERS, Wayne
The receiver combination of 6-5 Young and 6-2 Adams was established last season, with Adams hauling in 432 yards when teams locked down on the Ohio State-bound Young. The 6-1 Chambers adds another layer of depth and is off to a strong start with six catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
Young is a big play waiting to happen every time the ball is thrown his way, but the good thing for the Generals is the abundance of receiving talent to complement him. Young’s modest four catches for 46 yards in two games doesn’t necessarily indicate what is to come. He’s too talented to be contained long.
