Will Weathers: QB/ATH Brook Hill HS

By, Matt Alkire

Many communities around the country greet the arrival of high school football season with a certain level of excitement and expectations that would be deemed typical. Parents and fans filter into the stands each weekend hoping for their team to garner a respectable record, win most of their games and in some cases – approach greater accomplishments like state playoffs. Then you have the elite, the uber programs. Programs like The Brook Hill School where winning playoff games is expected and everyone simply wakes up for the state championship game. These places are the ultimate pressure cookers, the true Mecca of high school football. Quarterback Will Weathers transferred into this atmosphere going into his junior season, one he’ll never forget.

Call it fate, baptism by fire or simply the weight of an entire town on a young man’s shoulders but Weathers quickly found himself the starting quarterback for Head Coach Terry Pirtle in 2011. No added pressure for the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder by the way, but his school had just been to the state championship two years before and made appearances there as regularly as I skip the salad bar at an all you can eat buffet.

Weathers however did not bow to the pressure.

“Our school had been to the state championship two years before I transferred there, but they just never won the whole thing,” Weathers stated. “We had just always been a program that was consistently outstanding and was used to being in that spot. Brook Hill is a small school so I got to know everyone and built bonds really quickly. I then found out that I was going to be the starting quarterback over our coach’s son Travis Pirtle who was going to play the slot instead. All of the sudden Travis started helping me get up to speed with the offense which I thought was just really cool of him to do and the seniors really took me in and helped me too. Still, there was a ton of pressure and expectation to get the job done.”

 

That season was a bit of a blur for Weathers. He threw for 1255 yards and 17 touchdowns without any interceptions while also picking up 1,000 yards with his feet along the way. The dual-threat prospect did what he was supposed to do, lead Brook Hill to a state championship bid. Austin Regents remained the monolith in their way to the record books.

“Throughout the playoffs we knew that Regents was the team we were going to meet in the championship, so we had been preparing for them each week along with the team we were playing at that time,” Weathers said. “Our entire team was very focused and ready for Regents ahead of time as we had been putting in different packages specifically focused for that game ahead of time to be completely prepared.”

Still, no amount of preparation takes away the nerves of that experience. Anyone who has ever been on that stage does know however, there can be defining moments in contest that turn the tide and almost give a player that centering kick to the head they need. It settles you down. Everything slows and becomes reality. Will Weathers remembers one of his moments very well.

“Obviously you’re nervous about a state championship game, but we were also ready to just go out there and put all of that hard work on the field,” Weathers explained. “We had a great running back and our slot receiver/corner (Travis Pirtle who had played outstanding all season) couldn’t play, so we had a freshman out there. Obviously, having a freshman starting in the championship game made it uneasy.”

“Our game plan was really to run to the weak side of the field and really let our horse carry the ball as my running back was terrific. I just remember a huge 3^rd down play we had, it was 3^rd and 13. They had this big ole’ nose guard that was immovable all day and our center isn’t the biggest guy, but we called a quarterback draw and he side-stepped him and made a nice lane for me. I ran right off his block and got a first down that set us up for a touchdown. That score really swung the momentum for us in a big way. Then two of the other plays had nothing to do with me, but it was great as the freshman that had to step in for Travis at corner picked off their quarterback twice in the red zone. We just made big plays when it mattered.”

 

The result – Brook Hill School – State Champions…

 

 

The 2012 season was a year of adversity and tribulation after losing 18 starters from their championship squad. Brook Hill School finished up 6-4, but Weathers says that he learned just as much from this year as he did the success of 2011.

“I just tried to encourage our young guys because we had a ton of sophomores starting for the team,” Weathers offered. “The path I took was to really lead them by example. Last year the team was really counting on me to make big plays and this year I had to really guide and teach the younger players even during games in a lot of situations. A lot of people might get frustrated with that, but you’re going to have adversity in football just like you do in life. The point is to adapt and do what you have to do to win, so I accepted my role. It’s always fun to play football, but to have them working so hard because they saw me working that way was definitely inspiring and showed me something new in myself I didn’t know I had before because I was used to playing with older players.”

Speaking of encouraging signs, Weathers is seeing some in recruiting right now. Schools like Abilene Christian, Air Force, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Midwestern State and Harding are hot on his trail.

 

Watch Will Weathers' Highlight Film

Looking at his film, there is a lot to like about the signal caller and also some things he’ll need to work on at the next level. He was a tough one to evaluate as often times you could see that he did deal with dropped passes on a regular basis.

Weathers best two qualities in terms of what he does on the field come down to athleticism and accuracy. In today’s college football environment where the spread offense has become so popular, his ability to get rid of the ball quickly and accurately and also make teams pay with his feet is very attractive.

He does not display a cannon for an arm, but frankly that looks to have more to do with a lack of proper mechanics than strength. Case in point, when he’s throwing on the run and does have to put his lower body into a throw – he fires the ball. Standing in the pocket he is often straight-legged and upright. That can be coached out very quickly. Having a feel for where the ball needs to be placed so that his receivers can turn up field and gain yards after the catch cannot be taught quickly however.

As a runner, he is not just a “scrambling quarterback”, but actually exhibits very good vision and instincts in the hole and open field. You see a bit of tailback in Weathers. Also, the young man is very tough with the ball in his hands. Most quarterbacks will slide or run out of bounds however Weathers regularly uses a stiff arm or drops his shoulders.

 

 

While his first choice at the next level and coach’s first choice will most certainly be at quarterback, my opinion is that he brings added value as a scholarship player in one big way. He could eventually be a quarterback, running back, receiver or safety for a program as a scholar-athlete. Not many players bring that athletic combination to the field.

 

As for Weather’s thoughts, he’s open to that change if it needs to happen as well.

 

“I prefer to play quarterback, but if I had to move somewhere else on the field to help my team I’d do that. I think I’m best with the ball in my hands and have played running back before and done it well, so I could play there at the next level. Tight end is another place I’d feel comfortable.”

A student who is brilliant at mathematics, Weathers says a future in Engineering could be in the cards in college. He scored a 1700 on his SAT and has a 3.4 GPA. We asked him what he’s looking for in a college or university.

“I’m not necessarily looking for a huge university because I don’t want to be another face in the crowd,” Weathers explained. “I am looking for a school where football is very important to the town and student body and gets a ton of support. Also, I want to go somewhere that is very well respected academically. As far as a coaching staff, I look for people who want to make me better not only as an athlete, but as a student and a man as well. I love competitive coaches and look for someone I can respect.”

At the end of my conversation with Weathers, I jokingly asked him if there was anything else people needed to know about him. His hobbies, whether or not he liked to take long walks on the beach – the usual puff piece material which I wouldn’t write even if he did give me. As it turned out he finished my job for me with quote of seven simple, but serious words.

“You don’t want to play against me.”

 

 

 

Beyond His Years: Sonny Abramson, Class of 2016 Quarterback

By, Matt Alkire

 

As I begin to write this article I realize the hypocrisy of what I’m about to embark on as my reputation has always been that of a scout brutal on quarterbacks. Hyperbole has never been an issue. In fact, finding a signal caller heavily touted to stand behind has never been something I could do. It’s always been the steely-eyed underdog with great pocket presence or toughness that his team rallies around that I am fond of. So, as I go into interviewing and talking about ninth grader Sonny Abramson I’m discovering new territory – the first pocket jockey I’m all in on.

I first came across film of Abramson in the 6^th grade – that’s right – middle school. My initial thought when his father sent the film to me was what I was supposed to with it. In this day and age where I’ve seen a player like David Sills commit to Southern Cal as a 7^th grader I simply don’t understand hyper-advanced recruiting. Players at that age all look like they should be having sleepovers and trading baseball cards, lanky and uncoordinated, the way 99.9-percent of us were. Sonny was different though. He had an air about him in the pocket and a gun for an arm relative to his age. I kept my ears perked.

The next year I got another clip from Neal Abramson and this one was special. Included in it was Sonny hitting a receiver on a crossing pattern that literally drove him back a few yards and into the ground. It was comedic and at the same time eye-opening. Should I give into the new trend of early scouting? I came to the conclusion that in this case I needed to make an exception. I had worked many youth camps as a volunteer and seen players at his age that played in national all-star games that weren’t near the level I was seeing on film. What was more; his father Neal wasn’t pushing an agenda. He just wanted an opinion on his son, no publicity or fanfare.

 

View Sonny Abramson's Freshman Highlight Film

There were no $25,000 weekends at passing camps for Sonny, no specialized diets (other than some wickedly good energy balls the family makes) and the Abramson family wasn’t looking to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids. In fact, they wouldn’t even make his highlights public. There was providence in what they were doing and it was for all the right reasons, something you don’t always see in today’s crazy world of recruiting.

Fast forward to this year at Pope John XXIII in Sparta, N.J., and you have what I see now - the best freshman quarterback I have ever seen in my life – on film or in person. You can trust when I say there was some pretty stiff competition before him, especially one in particular who blew me away years ago.

While I love Abramson’s arm, accuracy, mobility and all other physical attributes – it’s his mental attributes that blow me away the most. His pocket presence, poise and football IQ are off the charts. To watch the freshman walk under center, adjust line calls, routes and alter the offense on the fly is the thing of beauty. He gets the ball in his hands and processes information on the field as well as any high school quarterback I’ve ever seen, even at the senior level. Safeties are diving the wrong way, linebackers are tripping over their feet in backpedal and corners are biting on pump fakes like it’s their job. Then you see a beautiful, frozen rope pass.

Sure, he could get quicker in his delivery. He doesn’t use his lower body as much as I’d like on his deep ball and therefore shot puts it a bit, but when a 14-year old can lay in it the basket from 55 yards out I’m good to go. Tweaks can be taught, inherent intelligence and poise cannot. I guess the best way I can express my feelings about those issues is that I’d prefer my Lamborghini in silver, but if you give me a red one I suppose I could live with it.

An FBS-level coach who is taking a break for the season actually spoke with us after watching the young phenom’s film recently. He thought very highly of Abramson.

“If I compare this kid to what we evaluated as a staff last year, he’s already 95-percent above even the seniors from a mental standpoint and that’s the most impressive part. You can see some physical limitations with the kid just turning 14 years old a few months ago, but he has four years. When I look at him on film and see these adjustments on the fly, his ability to break down the secondary and fool them with fakes, site adjustments and just overall natural intuition – that’s a special kid. He needs to get stronger, but that comes naturally. He’s a player that will get offers as a freshman with schools looking to recruit so much earlier. That’s the newest trend. It’s become a basketball atmosphere.”

His high school coach Brian Carlson wasn’t quite as verbose, but the word maturity seems to keep hitting home as he told NJ.com, “His physical talents speak for themselves, his maturity is what jumps out at you and he never gets rattled. His intelligence is off the charts.”

North Jersey has always been rich in football tradition, it has just taken the rest of the country a while to catch up with that. In recent years with the constant coverage of high school recruiting and teams now flying all over the country to play games teams like Don Bosco Prep have gained national notoriety, being named the top program in the nation.

In recent years the area has hit a tipping point. Take the 2009 NFL Draft for instance – 1^st Round picks B.J. Raji, Brian Cushing, Kenny Britt, Eugene Monroe, Knowshon Moreno and Donald Brown were all from the Garden State. So, for a freshman to be starting at quarterback against top competition in North Jersey there would seemingly be a lot of pressure both from inside and outside the friendly walls of Pope John XXIII.

“When I came in I didn’t really feel it and I don’t pay attention to it to be honest,” Abramson said. “My focus is what we need to do to win and frankly, I thrive on that pressure, so I don’t think it would bother me anyway. I was just out there reading defenses and getting my timing down with my receivers to the point where we were in perfect sync, so I didn’t really have any time to worry about any outside noise.”

Abramson’s answers always seem to translate right onto the field, but they’re not robotic or prepared. Honestly, he has a very rare and somewhat odd way about him. Having dealt with over 10,000 young men in an interview situation you can get a good read on small things like voice inflection and smoothness to see if you’re being fed what you want to hear. Sonny just seems to be mature way beyond his years.

From watching his film for years and focusing on his year, I saw him making a lot of adjustments before the snap. He seems extremely cerebral and is just methodical at the line. I wanted to probe his mind and find out what is cycling through his brain when he gets behind center.

“I call the play in the huddle and within the first few seconds I’m doing my protocol which is just seeing how many safeties are high,” Abramson explained. “At that point, I look to see what the corners’ leverage is. At that point I have to see what the numbers game is in terms of our receivers versus theirs on each side of the field. After I’ve picked where we’re strong, I start deciphering what the defense is showing me and determine what set they’ll most likely be in. Then I look inside the box and figure out where the pressure points may be and which linebackers could come. Then I know if I need to keep a tight end in or need to check my back to stay in to block. Also, I can call a hot if I need to and just make sure I’m not taking unnecessary sacks or we’re not taking a loss on any given play.”

Watching him process information after the snap is a thing of beauty. He broke it down for me.

“That’s when I’m really taking in large groups of information very quickly,” Abramson added. “I have to check the linebackers first, then see the corners and finish with the safety on one side. Then it’s back to the middle and over to the opposite side of the field and all of this needs to be done in a split second. What I do is move guys with pump fakes and manipulate the safeties with my eyes to open something up for my receivers. That defense is trying to outsmart me, so I have to do the same thing to make the play work. It comes down to finding a mismatch on every single play.”

I previously mentioned that I’m tough on quarterbacks to a fault. Much of that has to do with spread offenses and the dink and dunk style of offense they have produced. Quarterbacks can now get away with looking good while having mediocre arms and poor field vision. You don’t see them use the seams, make opposite hash passes or get the ball downfield and trust their receivers. Abramson does all of these things well as a freshman.

“I do put a lot of trust in my receivers, especially in one-on-one situations. You have to do that. If I see one of my guys get open and no safeties are over the top I’ll immediately change the call at the line or alter what I’m thinking in the middle of the play and put a good ball up there for them and let them go up and get it. If I don’t and can’t trust my receivers to make plays on deep passes then we’re just not doing our jobs.”

Speaking of the word “our”, Abramson uses “we”, “our” and “team” to a fault. You would expect him to take some credit. Don’t get me wrong, he knows he’s a talented quarterback, but it’s not something he communicates. What he is quick to speak about is how well his supporting cast is.

“My offensive line was great for me this year and gave me a ton of time,” Abramson gloated. “I just have a ton of trust in them and they really put it out there every single week for me and my running back Deshawn Chatelier who is terrific. Also, my receivers Noah Brown, Ryan Izzo, Tom Adams and Austin Bailey made my job a lot easier this year. Those guys were great.”

Moving back to the aforementioned outstanding schools in North Jersey however, we did ask Abramson why he chose Pope John XXIII whose legendary coach Vic Paternostro has just retired. He must have had his pick of the litter and while Brian Carlson’s resume was sparkling having been a head coach at Kean University, it would be his first year at the school.

“When we were looking at schools we were looking at atmosphere, athletics and academics,” Abramson stated. “I wanted to be able to get a great education with people I could relate to and play in a great football program. Coach Carlson was huge part of the process as well. He had just come into the program and wanted to put in the spread and play fast tempo football which is exactly what I was looking for, so that was huge. He’s also just a great person who was very good to talk to and is more of a teacher. We built a great relationship very quickly and I just really appreciate him as a coach.”

Speaking of coaches, Abramson works with two other big names in the business in New York Jets’ Quarterbacks’ Coach Matt Cavanaugh and quarterback specialist Trent Dilfer.

“I’ve been very privileged and thankful to work with Coach Cavanaugh and he’s taught me a lot about footwork,” Abramson offered. “He and I are both very strong believers that everything starts from the feet up because if you don’t have strong footwork nothing is going to happen right in your throwing motion. We’ve worked together for two years now and I travel up to the Jets’ facility to work out with him.”

“Trent Dilfer is another person I’ve been very lucky to work with and he’s the person who really helped me get my release so quick. We really work on my upper body mechanics and the mental part of the game. When it comes to reading defenses I talk to both Coach Cavanaugh and Coach Dilfer and I just really appreciate all the time these guys spend with me.”

As for recruiting, the young signal caller is taking things slower than a lot of young men at his talent level who have already given their verbal commitments to schools. He and his father Neal Abramson simply believe in a different approach.

The family visited Stanford a year ago and met the entire coaching staff, was at Oklahoma to meet Bob Stoops and his staff and spent a day at Rutgers. He told Upper Hand he’ll definitely be going back to Stanford and Oklahoma again in the offseason and is open to seeing other schools.

Academically, it looks like every school in the country will be available to the young man if he continues on set path. He currently carries a 4.26 GPA on a 5.0 scale while taking five honors classes in Geometry, Biology, English, World Cultures and French II as a freshman. He doesn’t yet know what he wants to do for a living, but has a pretty good idea of what he’s looking for in a college and what he’s interested in studying.

“I want to be able to contribute to the university I attend as a student in a special way, not just be an athlete,” Abramson made clear. “Academics are very important to me. I really like Biology and Sports Medicine and just find how the body works fascinating, so I think it would be fun to study. I’m so driven on the field and want to go to a school where the football program gives me an opportunity to be a part of a winning atmosphere and have championship goals, so I want that in the classroom too.”  

After nearly seven years in the business I can say this much, to see a nearly turned 14-year old handle himself at such a high level both on and off the field is truly unique. North Jersey is going to have the pleasure of calling one of their own a major FBS prospect for years to come and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him blossom into one of the nation’s most coveted recruits for the Class of 2016. Of course, he’ll still only be 17 years old the day he hits the field as a college freshman.

The 6-foot-1.5, 190-pounder threw for 2,137 yards and 20 touchdowns this season in 10 games and has been named a Youth All-American for the past two years.

 

Trevor King: 3b/P Kemp HS

By, Matt Alkire

The Lone Star State is generally identified by outsiders of its borders by one major thing and that thing is football. As far as we know, male offspring are handed footballs upon birth and by the age of four, they are expected to fully understand the following sequence of nonsense – “Flip left, double-X jet, 36 counter, naked waggle, X-8, X-quarter, panda red.” You see, it’s Texas and they love their football.

The problem is – Kemp High School’s Trevor King is a baseball player – and he’s a fine one at that. While he may not understand the above play call, he understands how to put an aluminum bat to a ball coming at him at over 80 miles per hour. Last season the 3^rd baseman batted .405 in the five-spot, knocking in 24 base runners along the way and helped his team dramatically improve over the previous season. For his efforts, he was named First-Team All-District at 3^rd, awarded Rookie of the Year honors, given Honorable Mention by the Athens Review and put on the watch list by 3A Baseball.com.

Right now King is training with his teammates for what is shaping up to be his breakout year, a year everything finally clicks. He’ll move from 5^th to 3^rd in the line-up, a vote of confidence that he’s most likely the best contact hitter on the team. Also, he’ll also be the team’s No.2 pitcher. That’s right, King can also throw the ball and do it well. He thrusts the pill toward the plate in the low to mid 80s on his fastball with his best pitch being a two-seamer. He also boasts a nice 12-6 curve as his second and will switch it up between two and four stitch curves as his third and fourth pitches. For his fifth, he mixes in a nasty circle change-up for good measure.

King was a well-rounded player as a junior. Not only can recruiters see a prospect who will give them consistent constant, but he also brings a pitcher to work with. His baseball IQ is outstanding and he handles the hot corner extremely well. His arm strength is there, although a move to 2^nd or 1^st base might be more realistic depending on what level he plays at in college. Obviously his lack of home runs stands out a bit, however he was a doubles machine as a junior for Kemp and not many players in his district were hitting dingers last year. All schools jumped to the new BBCOR bats and it seemed to really limit the flight on balls. However, King is just fine with getting on base and driving in runs any way he can.

 

Kemp High School played in one of the best AAA districts in Texas last year. After a season where they only won a few games the previous term, they went out last year and not only got better, but sported a winning record. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder talked about why he thought he and his teammates were able to get to a new level and that was a new coach.

“Coach Hankins did a lot for our entire team this year,” King stated. “Honestly, he turned the whole program around very quickly. He has a very serious approach to the game and is hands on and technical with each player. We were in a very, very good district last year with two teams that went deep in the playoffs and still ended up with a 13-9 record playing a nasty schedule. I think the year before he was here we won maybe four or five games at the most.”

It wasn’t just the team that was changed, King’s game stepped up a few notches as well.

“He (Coach Hankins) has taught me a lot about the game in such a short amount of time,” King explained. “The first thing he did was really broke down my batting stance and had me focus on spreading my feet apart and adjusting my hand placement on the bat so I was making more contact and focusing less on power all the time. That right there made a huge difference in my results immediately. I can remember going right out to batting practice the next day and starting to hit with a ton of consistency, so my confidence started to fly up.”

 “After that he really grilled me on my fielding to take me from being good to great,” King added. “It was just drill after drill after drill. Coach Hankins really stresses doing things the right way and repetition. He played baseball and football at Oklahoma and then was in the minor leagues, so he’s one heck of a coach. I learned to come up and attack the ball rather than let it come to me and also just got a lot quicker in my exchange so that ball gets to first so much better. I only had two errors all season as a matter of fact.”

Kemp will actually drop down to Class AA this season which King admitted, “will give us an easier schedule and should give us better results.” He also was excited that Hankins has now been with the team for a full year and expected that things would “keep getting better for us as a unit on the field.”

While King is more of a composed young man who doesn’t have much to say – especially when you probe him about his own accomplishments – he was quick to talk about his love of baseball.

“To tell you the truth my life is just at its calmest moment when I step out onto that diamond,” King said. “You get that whiff of a new glove, sit in the dugout with the guys and just have the excitement in your gut to be in a pressure situation. I love when the game is on the line and you’re either up to bat or fielding that ground ball to get the last out of the game. That feeling when you swing through the ball and hit it perfectly so you can barely feel it come off your bat because you know you caught it right in that sweet spot, that’s perfect right there. To be honest with you, I love everything about baseball. Taking batting practice is just as much fun for me as playing the actual game. Like I said, it’s just where I want to be all the time.”

 

The third baseman also likes to spend his time out hunting which seems to be his second love. This also ties into what he wants to do in college and he took some time explaining his thoughts on wildlife.

“I want to be a game warden, so I’d like to major in Wildlife Management. Whichever school I do choose is going to need to have an area of study available where I can approach that. I love animals and really just being outdoors hunting.”

For anyone who doesn’t hunt or isn’t familiar with what a game warden does, that statement may sound a bit hypocritical. Trevor was quick to clarify.

“When I go hunting it’s either for me to eat what I bring home or to give to people who need to eat,” King offered. “I don’t hunt for sport. People who abuse the rules and go into nature with the intent of doing so are what I’m against, so I want to catch those people hurting animals for no reason and bring them to justice. I’m just very passionate about it. Game regulation is something that is very serious.”

Speaking of the hunt, it sounds like that’s what Kemp will be doing next year in AA. With a new coach and an improved team, he and his teammates are poised to make a big run. King just finished up football season being named Team Captain and to the “Dream Team” for his county at center.  King’s focus now solely shifts to the diamond.

With all the hard work he’s putting in, it looks like a run into the playoffs this season and the next level is what he has to look forward to.

 

 

 

Legatron: Steve Weyler (K) Cardinal O'Hara HS

By, Matt Alkire

Football still may not be where it should when it comes to recognizing special teams as an equal to the offensive and defensive side of the ball, but it’s come a long way over the past decade. Jeremy Shelley made five field goals in Alabama’s 21-0 win over LSU in the National Championship last year, accounting for 71-percent of the Tide’s points. In 2010 it was a last second field goal from Auburn kicker Wes Byrum to seal the deal for the Auburn Tigers in the National Championship over Oregon. Contests are being won or lost on the feet of players, not in their hands.

In scouting the Northeast portion of the country for several years now, two kickers have stood out to me over all. The first was Exeter Township High School product Taylor Bertolet. He was only 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, but had a cannon for a leg and knocked everything for touchbacks. Accuracy wasn’t his strong point, but power and confidence was. He is now a starter for the Texas A&M Aggies. The second became Cardinal O’Hara’s Steve Weyler a few years ago when visiting Coach Dan Algeo for spring practice. The now 5-foot-11, 170-pounder had a live leg, pummeled the ball off the ground and was putting it through the uprights on kickoffs. This of course made his coach furious as the Lions were working on kick return, so Coach Algeo made Weyler move back 10-15 yards so the ball at least came down in the end zone.

Since then, Weyler has become somewhat of a local legend. It’s not uncommon to watch him put the ball through the uprights on kickoffs. Seeing him boot 55 yarders off the ground is commonplace. Many think he started as a soccer player, but in fact he got into kicking because of his family’s pedigree. 

 

View Steve Weyler's Highlights

“I started kicking when I was in first grade because my grandfather and uncle were both kickers in college,” Weyler expressed. “I looked up to both of them, so I wanted to try it out, so we’d go out in the front yard and my grandfather would teach me the early stages of kicking. From there it just had to do with me having fun with kicking and also loving football, so I started to really get into things.”

Weyler’s uncle Dan Mueller kicked for William & Mary and his grandfather Buck Mueller kicked and punted at Purdue. His grandfather was a heralded player for the Boilermakers, however while his uncle was also very good – his story is definitely more on the side of crazy circumstance.  

“My uncle was recruited by the likes of North Carolina, Wake Forest and William & Mary and picked William & Mary because he thought he’d get a chance to play sooner there” Weyler explained. Little did Steve Weyler’s uncle know, that the starting kicker and punter when he arrived on campus was future Buffalo Bills great Steve Christie. Mueller did, however, go on to have a sparkling career as a kicker and punter for the Tribe and eventually succeeded Christie when he departed for the NFL. He finished his college career No. 2 in all-time field goal percentage at William and Mary which also produced Steelers coach, Mike Tomlin, Panthers Defensive Coordinator, Sean McDermott, Steve Christie, and All-Pro Darren Sharper among others.

“My grandfather also helped Hank Stram recruit kickers as they were best friends, so when Coach Stram became an NFL coach, he depended on my grandfather to scout. One memorable story that made an impact on me as a kicker was my grandfather’s recommendation to Coach Stram, then the head coach of the Dallas Texans, to draft a kickoff specialist with a strong leg, over two proven placekickers.  That gamble paid off big time when Tommy Brooker, my grandfather’s recommendation, kicked the game-winning 50-yard field goal in the second overtime to win the 1962 AFL championship.  Coach Stram was no where to be found when the announcers wanted to interview him because he was on the phone with my grandfather thanking him.” 

Speaking of cannonball kicks, Weyler’s kicking style is just that. I’ve been watching him since his freshman year at Cardinal O’Hara High School and the sound of the ball coming off his foot is something out of the opening scene of a World War II movie. 

Kickers are not often recruited until their senior years, however Weyler started being approached as a sophomore by Stanford, Miami, Penn State and Virginia. The number of schools has grown since then. He has faired very well when kicking at schools.

“When I went to Miami it had rained the previous day all day and there were big wind gusts, but I kicked off the ground and went 20 for 20 from 45 yards and under,” Weyler said. “I missed two of my five from 50 yards a little wide and then nailed my first from 55 yards, but missed the next three wide left which is how the wind was going. I got plenty of distance on the ball, but I just didn’t get the wind down well as it was gusting up to 30mph.”

Stanford was next on his plate as the Cardinal coaching staff loves Weyler’s leg and his prowess in the classroom given that they have such stringent standards. The visit went extremely well and the Pac 12 power has been on Weyler consistently since his trip, but the side event that took place while he was in Northern California is the real story – a kicking competition with John Carney.

“I really turned it into a competition to be honest with you,” Weyler joked. “Before 50 I was really in awe of John Carney and the fact that I was kicking with him, but once we got all the way back there I really wanted to beat him because I really look up to him as a great kicker and you want to strive to be as good as you can be. Something in the back of my head just told me to try and be competitive with him.”

“We would each take two kicks and go until we missed and once we got deeper it started to get a little competitive and fun,” Weyler added. “Obviously Carney made every single kick until 55 yards and I had missed one of mine, but when we got there I missed my first left and he missed his short. At that point I had the point to kick mine before John Carney. The juices started flowing and I hit from 55 yards. Carney kicked and bounced one through off the crossbar. He laughed and told me he’d give my leg a break. What was so amazing about him was that every single kick he made went in the exact same place. I might have made the same kicks, but not how he made them. It showed me exactly where I want to be one day – at that next level of controlling the ball. It was just an amazing opportunity.”

Well known to the teachers at Springfield, Pa., school Cardinal O’Hara – Weyler is not only active on the field – but is active in class as well. He is not only an outstanding student, but he does like to engage his teachers in discussion. Because of that he’s already mapped out a future he feels fits him well.

“I’m interested in majoring in Communications with the intent of becoming a Sport’s Attorney because it mixes my two favorite things, sports and arguing,” Weyler stated. “Anyone that knows me is well aware that I’ll talk your ear off, so this is right up my alley. I’d like to either work in contract agreements or get into the field where I can work as an agent or general manager at some point. The entire spectrum of what this major could prepare me for really intrigues me.”

While many kickers and punters use big-time circuits as training outlets Weyler had stayed local and it’s paid big dividends. He is very thankful for the help of his trainer, E.J. Cochrane.

“E.J. Cochrane is my kicking coach and played for the Eagles, Ravens and Packers,” Weyler mentioned. “He’s helped me out a lot since 7^th grade and I have to give a lot of credit for where I am today to him. He’s just been a phenomenal coach and person throughout this. Also, obviously my uncle and grandfather helped me out so much in this entire process.”

Weyler also credits his development to O’Hara Special Teams Coach, Paul Strus.  “I’m very fortunate to have a full-time kicking coach at O’Hara. Unlike kickers at other high schools who go off and practice by themselves, Coach Strus has been with me through it all and has helped me in all phases of my game, because he was a kicker himself.”

The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder not only has the leg and grades to be an FBS-level field goal kicker at any school he wishes, but has also come a long way punting this year. It was never something he focused heavily on in the past, but this season he averaged 43 yards per punt for the O’Hara Lions, a number that has to catch the eyes of recruiters. That certainly makes him a valuable commodity given that he could fill two roster spots with one scholarship.

The future is extremely bright for Steve Weyler. His kicking and punting prowess have garnered him the type of respect to where one FBS coach told Upper Hand that he was the best they had seen at this age since one of theirs who is now an NFL starter. It will be up to Weyler to continue refining his game. The sky is the limit.

Colar Kuhns (QB): Calvert Hall College HS

By, Matt Alkire 

      The thought of premier competition may not enter the cerebrum of many when they hear Maryland and football in the same sentence, but if you travel out to watch Colar Kuhns play on any given weekend for the Calvert Hall Cardinals, prepare for an awakening.  The 6-foot-2, 210-pound signal caller leads his squad out of the locker room against some of the best in Maryland every weekend – teams like DeMatha, Gilman School, Dunbar and McDonogh – and he’s led them to eight victories as a junior so far. Next year they will be squaring off with another national powerhouse in Good Counsel. In fact, the school plays such competition that they’ve dipped into Canada and New York for rivalry this year. Kuhns has answered the call consistently.

   In his first season as a varsity starter Kuhns has led his teammates to an 8-2 record, posting league best numbers in the MIAA for total yardage (2,156). He’s completed a gaudy 71-percent of his passes and put 19 touchdowns on the board. All of this has been done against powerhouse teams, not interlopers of the football royalty that is the MIAA. One has to look deeper to see the young man under center and how he arrived where he is – focusing on his mindset – a unique one.

    A step from junior varsity to varsity is baptism by fire, especially at the quarterback position. It’s something that Colar Kuhns quickly diagnosed and passed up his demons with.

“The game obviously got so much faster when I stepped up to the varsity level because before I was so used to simply being better and having more talent, but now it’s a mental game,” Kuhns told us. “It’s about making proper reads and identifying the match-ups on the field that will give your team that advantage. You have to process that information on the fly, make quick decisions and strike.”

“Sometimes that has meant tucking the ball and taking off when I have running lanes this season or just having to give up the long ball and checking down,” Kuhns added. “It’s all about staying away from mistakes and taking what the defense gives you at certain points of the game. At the same time, I definitely do put the ball out there and trust my receivers to make plays. That’s something I’ll really do on my deeper passes. If I can get the ball in a good position for them to go up high and make a play on the ball I’ll do it – that’s a trust you have to put in your playmakers.”  

   Kuhns has done both this season and will push the ball down field. While he shows good ball placement on short and intermediate routes, there is certain a proclivity to get the rock downfield in one-on-one situations for his receivers on longer routes. His aforementioned scrambling ability has also made a huge difference in some key games, like when the Cardinals played powerhouse Gilman this season. Playing against Gilman, a team who had previously traveled to both Archbishop Moeller and then Don Bosco Prep – beating them on their home turf, Kuhns rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown and also threw for 245 yards and another score. His team came up short, but he talked to us about both that game and how that opponent sticks in his head all season.

“Gilman is the team we want to face for the championship and that’s been it all season,” Kuhns explained. “You have to be a dual-threat when you’re in the pocket. Initially when I went into that game I was a bit nervous, but then I realized our job was just to win, not to prove anything. The name of the game is converting first downs and putting the ball in the end zone when we get in the red zone and we just didn’t do enough of that. They were dropping so many players that day that it gave me some holes, so I just had to move those chains when the opportunities came. Beating Gilman was all that mattered, so I used my feet to open up some later opportunities in the passing game. It was really a situation where we had to win at any cost.”

    While that game was certainly a setback, Kuhns felt it was a high point and a standout game for his offensive line that may lack size, but not fight.

“Our line is very strong in pass protection and does a great job creating a pocket. They did a great job at that against Gilman and then the next week against Spalding they plowed the road for the running game. They’re all fighters in the trenches and always with me, so I attribute a lot of our teams’ success to those guys.”

    Against Archbishop Spalding the Cards clinched a first round bye in the playoffs with a 27-7 win as Kuhns went 18 for 26 for 220 yards and two scores. Calvert Hall’s running game was also big in the affair and it sets up a potential rematch with Gilman in the playoffs.

“We really took care of business against a very physical team,” Kuhns said. “They’ve got a great quarterback, but our defense really handled him well. Our offense came together in a big way and put together some long drives and really controlled the clock. The final score wasn’t really a reflection of how well we played.”

    For a junior to step in under the bright lights and be so collected it’s not surprising for his nickname to be “Ice”. Kuhns is a young man who is very modest and frankly, doesn’t like to talk about himself much. One thing that does ring through about him is his passion for the game though. We asked him why he plays football.

“I love this game,” Kuhns stated. “I love being in a situation where the game is on the line, it is the last series and everything will be made or broken by what I do over the course of a few plays. That pressure, energy and adrenaline is what makes me thrive. If you can’t get pumped for those situations right there – you shouldn’t be playing football. If that doesn’t get you ready to get out on the field, you need to just put the helmet down. Also, it’s a means for me to continue doing something that I love while I get a great education that allows me to continue another passion in life.”

    Anyone who has been in college knows that the second passion may change over the next few years, but right now Colar would like to do something in the medical profession. He is part of the National Honor Society, carries a perfect 4.21 GPA and has thoughts of becoming a surgeon.

“I want to do something in the medical field. Right now I’m taking Honors Anatomy and Physiology and it’s extremely interesting to me. The study of how the human body works and reacts just fascinates me. One of my uncles is an urologist and the other is an optometrist, so talking to them I have always felt like it would be a good way to go. One of our teachers in school also makes it a bit fun too as he was in the Army as a combat trainer, so he teaches us some unique things about reflexes and anatomy as well that you may not learn in a textbook.”

 View Colar Kuhn's Junior Highlights

    Speaking of uncles – Kuhns’ bloodlines don’t just go into medicine – they dip into college football royalty as well. His great uncle was a former Heisman Trophy winner, Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack. While Mr. Lujack may not be able to take Colar aside and teach him some things in the backyard, other prominent quarterbacks have. Kuhns was named a top sophomore performer at the Under Armour Combine and has been invited to the Army All-American Combine in Texas this January.  Additionally, Kuhns was the only rising junior to be named onto the All-Madden team with Chris Weinke this past summer at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla.

“Coach Weinke has a lot of good insight. He helped me out a lot with my form and really drills the heck out of you on your footwork. He liked that my feet were quick, but wanted me to stop dropping the ball in my release and also talked a lot about making sure I was throwing with a proper base. IMG has talked to my father about the possibility of coming down to Bradenton, Fla., to play on the IMG Academy team which would be a big honor, but I would have to switch schools to do that and I just don't think it's in the cards. Again, working with Coach Weinke was so great for my development though.”

    Colar will continue to work with Chris Weinke and obviously the first step is an MIAA championship, but the focus will then be on schools. He told us briefly what he’s looking for.

“I’m really looking for a place where I can be myself and find a home away from home,” Kuhns expressed. “I’d like to find a coach that I relate to, can ask questions so that I can learn and get positive reinforcement from them. Finding that coach that will help you, but at the same time give you that constructive criticism is what I want. As for distance, I really don’t care. Feeling comfortable with my surroundings and coaches is really the biggest deal to me.”

    If the Calvert Hall signal caller continues on the path he has started finding suitors should be no problem.