Trey Wheeler is entering his senior year at Liberty High School, a consistent competitor of the upper tier of the 3A division along with a 2^nd place finish in the State Championship in 2009.  As Trey enters his last year of high school football he definitely has his sights set on that title for 2010.  Liberty will begin their season on September 3^rd facing the reigning 4A State Champions, Bellevue High School. 

In his off-season Trey has spent his time at many camps, clinics and tournaments including QBA camps and competing in the Washington All-Star 7v7 Tournament perfecting his skills to help him reach that title game in 2010 and to help him solidify an offer from an NCAA school.  He seems to be headed in the right direction as earlier this summer Wheeler received his first offer, Wyoming.  Trey has not yet accepted his offer until he has a chance to visit the school and potentially see what else comes his way but one thing is for sure, his hard work and dedication to the game has paid off.

Coach and Director or Operations for QBA, JC Boice has had the privileged of working with Trey and is sure wherever he ends up that they will get a great quarterback.  “Trey is just flat out one of the most focused kids I know and his preparation reflects in his game.  He is just always a gamer when it really counts”, says Boice. 

Not only has Trey been participating in the QBA camps since the 7^th grade, he is also one of the original athletes to join in the ProspectFIT program that specializes in training and development of upper echelon high school players to get to the next level.  Coach Boice on Wheeler’s progress:

“Trey really represents the growth in our company.  Even at the early age he was very driven to become a great football player and we realized we needed to provide a complete development track for taking a young athlete like Trey and advance them to assist in achieving their goals.” 

Along with many others, Trey’s accomplishments have proven the program highly successful. 

“Trey is one of the first of many QBs coming through our development system that are not only great QB’s but great young men.”

And on September 3^rd when the 2010 season begins for this Senior, those remaining schools that still have Wheeler on their recruiting boards will get to see just how great he can be.  QBA congratulates Trey on his first offer from Wyoming and of all there is to come for him.

Witthuhn works hard in the weight room, boasting a 350lbs bench and participated in to QBA events to work on refining his mechanics and Quarterback skills.

Who says you have to listen to your critics?  Well Kyle Miller of St. Francis High School certainly didn’t when all through his years of football he was told he would never play as a quarterback in Division 1 due to his height.  Miller stands just 6’0” and 200 lbs and on his way to play QB for the University of San Diego Toreros this fall.

As Captain and starting QB of the Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Game in the Silicon Valley this past month, Miller carries with him an impressive resume as he prepares for his next challenge.   Breaking school records of passing yards with 2,156, a 41 year old record; surpassing the touchdown record by 8 with 25 TD’s, Kyle also had 6 rushing TD’s, only 7 interceptions in 196 attempts and maintains a 61.7% completion percentage which is also a new school record.  He has been honored as the Daily News Offensive Player of the Year, WCAL Quarterback of the Year and Under Armour Bay Area All-Star just to name a few and this is just his Senior Year accomplishments.

Needless to say Kyle Miller has proven his critics wrong that 6 foot isn’t tall enough to be a successful quarterback.  Kyle has been training with the QBA team since he was in the 8th grade with the statistics and awards not being the only thing that he took from those experiences.

He became a man.

“One of the best things I liked was not only the fundamental part of it, but the actual message about leadership and becoming a man”, says Miller about his participation at the camps.

Kyle has been to numerous camps, combines and competitions over his years, 17 just his Junior & Senior years.  “I feel like that is something they offer that no other camp does” Miller added.  Kyle believes that QBA had a large part in helping him attain so many of his accolades by not only perfecting his skills but teaching him to prepare mentally.

These skills allowed him to be a great leader on and off the field, “the camps gave me an advantage, making me want to work harder than I ever had before because I finally realized it was not about me, and now I live by that motto”.

This summer Kyle Miller got the opportunity to join the QBA team as a college mentor, and help guide the next generation of quarterbacks to be prepared for greatness.  Feeling like he became a better quarterback himself in this process this will give him a true advantage on his voyage to the college game.  The coaching staff with QBA couldn’t agree more.

Coach and Director of Player Development, Will Hewlett commented on what Kyle brought to the camps and on his future, “he showed that he is going to be a gifted coach, communicating well with all age groups and parents. He has an advanced understanding of the mechanics as well as a special ability to correct all aspects of the QB game”.

Miller started the University of San Diego training camp August 1^st and he will be joined by one of his favorite targets on the field, Chris Barrett tight-end who also played at St. Francis.   This combined with USD also using a west coast offense as he did in high school and the knowledge that QBA provided him, Kyle and his coaches are confident he has all the tools he needs to be great.

“I know he is a more confident quarterback going into this season because of the experience of coaching and being around coaches”, stated Coach Hewlett.

Kyle has a very bright future as he plans to continue mentoring with QBA in between college seasons, passing along the life lessons to the next generation to always prepare themselves for greatness.

Image Courtesy of NUCfootball.com

Monroe, Louisiana—   Steven Fitzhugh, head coach at Ouacita Christian School, adopted QBA’s C4 mechanics last year, and the quarterbacks in his system are producing eye-catching numbers and victories as a result.

As an experienced head coach (12 years at Ouachita Christian) and former college player (linebacker at Harding University), Fitzhugh knows football.  His experience allowed him to see value in Darin Slack’s 2009 clinic presentation in Houston, Texas.

Fitzhugh returned to Louisiana and promptly committed all the QB’s in his program to C4 mechanics.  “We took six kids ranging from age 11 to 17 and they all came away from the camp
with a greater understanding of the mechanics of throwing the football as well as a better understanding of the game.  I was extremely pleased” Fitzhugh said.

Last year, the quarterbacks at Ouachita Christian validated Fitzhugh’s perspective:

Junior Paul Michael Garner earned 1st team All State honors, throwing for over 2,200 yards and 27 TD’s.

Freshman Braden Bristo produced over 120 yards of total offense and 2 TD’s per game, guiding Ouachita Christian to their first undefeated JV season in over a decade.

8th grader Quinn Graves led his team to a 9-1 record, throwing for 1,349 yards and 18 TD’s.  His outstanding play resulted in an invitation to the FBU 8^th Grade Youth All-American game in San Antonio.

7th grader John Randall Bennett set records for passing yards and touchdowns.  He threw for 1,710 yards and 17 TD’s in 10 games leading his team to an 8-2 record.

5th grader Grant Fitzhugh’s team went undefeated and lost in Super Bowl.

These gaudy numbers have helped other team members receive recognition:

Sophomore wide receiver Mark Laird earned 1^st team All-State honors.  His 54 receptions resulted in 1,117 yards and 14 TD’s.

Fitzhugh believes in the value of QBA’s system.  “[The] self-correction tips diffuse the frustration between QB’s and their coaches and allow them to talk about the correction and make proper adjustments” he said.  “We plan on being involved with QBA for years to come”.

Photo courtesy of Rivals.com

Jake Rudock has all the intangibles of a great quarterback.  The 6’3, 180lb junior has tremendous athleticism, leadership and experience.  As a two year starter for St. Thomas Aquinas, his status as one of the best quarterback prospects in the nation is well earned.

Jake’s evolution as a quarterback began as a result of his prowess on the baseball diamond.  He began playing quarterback as a 7^th grader, when his baseball coaches recognized his ability to throw.  “I was a baseball player my whole life” said Jake.

Early on, Jake worked to adapt his throwing motion, seeking personal training from Darin Slack.  Jake said “I’ve been working with Darin for four or five years.  I’ve lost track of how many camps I’ve been to.”

“I didn’t know how to throw until I started working with Darin.  He taught me how to correctly throw a football.  And he taught me how to give hand-offs and about play action.  He taught me everything”.

But being exposed to proper mechanics is only a small piece of Jake’s identity as a quarterback.  Jake has committed himself to out-work the competition.  He focuses on refining and perfecting his mechanics, while supporting his athleticism with rigorous 4 day-a-week strength and speed sessions.  And the results speak for themselves: Jake completed 65% of his passes last year, with 34 TD’s and only 5 interceptions.

However, Jake doesn’t care much for statistics.  His eyes are on more significant things.  “As long as we win, I don’t care.  That’s the most important thing” he said.

Jake’s team oriented attitude demonstrates the leadership and humility required of a great leader.  He credits his success to teamwork.  “We have really strong chemistry.  I do my job and trust them to do theirs, and we’ve got athletes” he added with a smile.

Experience has also been an asset for Jake.  Jake started two games as a sophomore and became the full time starter as a junior, leading nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas to a 13-1 record.

Despite the pressure of playing for national power St. Thomas Aquinas, Jake looks at the exposure positively.  “We have three or four televised games a year” he said.  “It’s pretty exciting knowing that it’s what the college guys do and play on TV.”

Jake Rudock just committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes this past week.

2009 Season Awards:

• All- State
• District All-Star
• Academic All-State
• Conference MVP and All-Conference
• Team MVP
• Tristatefootball.com Preseason and Postseason All- Tristate Nominee
• Tristatefootball.com Player of the Week
• Indianascout.com Top 25 Player in the State
• Scout.com and Rivals.com Two Star Player

School Records:

• Most TD passes in a season (he also ran for 15 TDs)
• Most TD passes in a career
• Highest completion percentage in a season (with average completion of 22 yards)
• Lowest interception percentage in a season

Connor trains at QBA and is a college mentor for our Camp program.

HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—Max Staver, a 6’4” 187 lb freshman recently achieved Blackshirt status during the Performance Camp at Fort Smith, Arkansas.  Max’s abilities and dedication to excellence have shaped him into one of the nations’ brightest young quarterback prospects.

Max has been a QB from the beginning.  According to his father, Robert Staver, Max’s height and ability to see over the line caused his youth league coaches to position him at QB during Max’s first year of football—and Max proved a natural.  “He could always throw” said Robert.  And with his leadership ability and toughness, Max had all the intangibles.

But Robert understood that talent and potential are no guarantee of success.  “We wanted something more for Max” Robert said, and the two began searching for some additional QB coaching.

Max found and attended a Darin Slack Quarterback camp in Fort Campbell, Kentucky and returned visibly better, adding distance and accuracy to his throws. “People noticed” said Robert, referring to Max’s coaches and other parents.

Max and Robert were believers.  Max committed himself to his mechanics, improving markedly each year and earning the praise of Coach Slack.  “Max caught on quick” Slack said, noting that Max is one of the youngest QB’s to “crack the code”.

Coach Slack’s feedback has galvanized Max’s commitment.   “I work out everyday” said Max, “throwing footballs and lifting weights”.   He is getting stronger, but wants to add power and strength to his frame.

Additionally, Max is working to perfect his footwork.  He uses speed ladder and jump rope drills to improve his quickness and athleticism.  “I am not the fastest,” said Max, “but I am getting better.  Now I am able to move in the pocket and deliver a strike down field.”

With perspective and maturity beyond his years, Max is taking some advice from Joe Montana to heart:  he is making choices that reflect his goals and values.  “While my friends are going to parties, I am going to work.”

Max’s dedication is paying off—he has skyrocketed to the top of the QB ranks.   Last summer, prior to his freshman year, Max stepped up for a 3^rd place finish during competition drills at the Tulsa Power Camp.  The first and second finishers?  Fellow Blackshirts and Division I prospects Tommy Thornton (Colorado) and Sawyer Kollmorgen (Oklahoma).

Additionally, Max’s commitment has translated to on-field success.   Max led his middle school teams to two championship game appearances, one league title and earned him a reputation as a big play freshman last year.

Max is eager to see what the future holds.  “I want to start as a sophomore, compete for a state title and eventually earn a Division I scholarship.” he said.

With lofty goals, a commitment to improve and the pro-style passing offense employed by Pope John Paul II High School, the stage is set for one of QBA’s youngest and brightest stars to shine.

Photo courtesy of tbo.com

CJ Bennett, a 6-year DSQA veteran, quarterbacked Alonso (Florida) to a 42-6 win over Gaither to clinch one of 5A District 5′s playoff spots.

Bennett (16-of-20, 143 yards, 2 pass TD, 1 rush TD), put Alonso in the lead for good with an 11-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Alonso opens the playoffs Nov. 20 against Newsome.

Bennett, one of the high school players featured on the FSN show “The Ride”, has accepted a D-1 scholarship to play for Wyoming.

Get next level. Get-2-0!

–CD

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