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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The X Factor and Beyond
Raleigh Durham, NC
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By: Lamonte Garrett and Nick Stevens
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Players That Make a Difference on Four Outstanding Football Teams
Editor’s Note: VYPE’s online correspondent, Lamonte Garrett and HighSchoolOT.com’s Nick Stevens have teamed up to present their views on area players who really make a difference for their teams. We’re focusing on four stand-out players on some very good Triangle teams.
These four players are Reese Wiggins of Southern Durham, Trea Jones of Wake Forest-Rolesville, Brian Kass of Millbrook, and Jerrell Rhodes of Durham Jordan. While all are great players, we will focus on just a few questions to compare the four.
Which player can put his team on his back at playoff time?
Lamonte: “While all of them seem capable, I have to go with Brian Kass on this one, mostly because he is the quarterback, and quarterbacks have to lead their teams in order to win. The quarterback touches the ball on every single play, so if your QB is your best player, what more could you ask for?”
Nick: “When playoff time gets here, no one ever knows what will happen. While there are some players who have made a difference all season, a few players always step it up in the postseason and really put their names on the map. All of these guys have already put their names on map, and each one of them will have the opportunity to carry their team through a playoff run. Brian Kass is an excellent passer, but he is also a huge threat on the ground, keeping the defense honest. Reese Wiggins is one of the best offensive players on a very talented Southern Durham team, and Trea Jones is also a key player for Wake Forest-Rolesville’s offense. You never know who’s going to come out and have a big game.”
Which player is the "x-factor "during any giving contest?
Lamonte: “Here I have to say Reese Wiggins. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns early in the season, and has proven that he can take it to the house on one slip of a defender. He will be invaluable against teams where Southern Durham is evenly matched physically. This is key, because the PAC6 is a very athletic conference. You have several Division 1 scholarships already offered on multiple teams, so game-changing playmakers like Wiggins are definitely needed.”
Nick: “Brian Kass is probably the biggest x-factor of the group. Kass can hurt a team through the air, but he can also take it on the ground and pick up big time yardage. That keeps the defense on their toes. He is very good at picking apart a zone defense and has a lot of intangibles with the ability to change a play at the line of scrimmage. Head Coach Clarence Inscore goes as far to say that Kass calls the right play nine out of ten times. “If I call a bad play, his job is to make sure we don’t run it,” Inscore told Tom Suiter when Kass won the first WRAL Extra Effort Award of the school year.
Who affects the other team’s gameplan the most?
Lamonte: Jerrell Rhodes(JR) gives defensive coordinators fits. Defenses facing Rhodes must account for his presence in the backfield. If you don’t play “8 in the Box”, Jordan’s offense will hit you for five or more yards all the way down the field. If you do play “8 in the Box,” they have speedster Torrance Hunt at slot and no one in the area is a fast as he is. Another nightmare for coordinators is that Rhodes has thrown for two touchdowns this year on a halfback pass play. With that play haunting your thoughts how can you tell your corners “heads up” watching for the sweep?
Nick: “I’m not sure that you could say any one of these players impacts their opponents’ game plan more than anyone else. Reese Wiggins obviously gains interest from the defense, and the opposing defensive coordinator is going to want to match-up one of his best corners with him. Trea Jones is a tricky guy on the ground, and Brian Kass is the dual threat quarterback.”
Who is more likely to win Player of the year in the Triangle?
Lamonte: “Right now, I would say Brian Kass would get the votes. Millbrook is undefeated and they are crushing opponents on both sides of the ball. When that happens, the quarterback of that team normally gets the nod as Player of the Year. Having Kuwon Eldridge in the backfield definitely helps Kass’ dual ability to run or pass for over 100 yards each, and drives the Millbrook offensive juggernaut.”
Nick: “I think Brian Kass is probably going to be the Player of the Year in the Triangle this year. Kass is on his way to a special season, and will certainly be one of the leading passers in the area. Kass, along with Sanderson quarterback Jeff Massey, will also be amongst the top rushing quarterbacks in the state. As I said already, Kass is a dual threat quarterback, capable of making the big pass, but capable of taking it on the ground for big pickups. Kass’ leadership qualities, and the responsibility given to him by his coaches, creates a unique situation for a high school quarterback. The Player of the Year is often influenced by how far a team goes in the playoffs and the type of regular season they have, so if Millbrook gets knocked out early and another team goes deep, this could change. Kass is my favorite to win the award, though.”
Who has been the most impressive this year?
Lamonte: “While Brian Kass and Millbrook have dominated, Trea Jones is the rock that holds Wake Forest-Rolesville together. With the implementation of a new passing scheme at Wake Forest, every coach knows that you must establish a running game first for your air attack to be successful. Jones is what you would call a “workhorse back”. His superb running has allowed Wake Forest to open it up this year. The WFR attack is now balanced enough to exploit any weakness an opponent may have. Southern did contain Jones, but I think the loss only showed Wake Forest how to handle a team as physical as the Spartans, and they will be better for it in the long run.”
Nick: “This goes along with Player of the Year in my opinion. It’s not so much the statistics Brian Kass puts up, but the things that aren’t measured by numbers by the media. The intangibles, his understanding for the game, and the responsibility he has with the ability to audible out of a play at the line is very impressive.”
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