Here are Gastonia, Shelby high school football's returning quarterbacks to watch in 2024

Even as summer rages on, the 2024 high school football season also draws ever closer.

Kickoff for teams in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties and throughout North Carolina is Aug. 23. With that in mind, now is a good time to see what this fall may have in store.

First, we look at the area’s top returning quarterbacks, each possessing a skillset best suited for their respective team’s style of play.

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Gideon Allen

Sr. | West Lincoln

Tasked with being more of a pitchman rather than a drop-back passer, Allen completed 24 of his 45 passes last season for 514 yards and four touchdowns. However, he’s also capable as a runner, averaging 5.7 yards per carry last season for 634 yards and 14 TDs, second on the team.

Patrick Blee

Jr. | South Point

Blee is a bonafide rushing threat for the Red Raiders, rushing for 2,597 yards and 34 touchdowns during his first two seasons in Belmont. He’s rushed for 100 yards in 12 of 26 career games, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound athlete averaging 7.8 yards per carry. More importantly, South Point has won 19 games the past two years with Blee under center.

Javarion Brown

Sr. | Hunter Huss

Last fall, Brown set career highs in several categories including completion percentage (48.3%), passing yards (1,118) and touchdowns (10). He’s also a threat as a runner, accumulating 1,603 yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons as Huss quarterback.

Gavin Chastain

Jr. | Bessemer City

Chastain completed 70% of his passes last season for 1,082 yards and 19 touchdowns. During a 60-0 win over Cherryville, he set a new Gaston County single-game record with eight touchdown passes. The Yellow Jackets finished 6-6 and their first NCHSAA playoff win since 2018.

Lan Farmer

Jr. | Shelby

Farmer thrived in his first season as Shelby quarterback, completing 65% of passes for 3,399 yards and 44 touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound quarterback threw a touchdown pass in 13 of 15 games last season, helping the Golden Lions to an 11-4 record and a berth in the NCHSAA 2A West final.

Grayson Harvey

Sr. | Mountain Island Charter

As a sophomore, Harvey completed 56.6% of his passes for 3,440 yards and 22 touchdowns. He helped the Raptors to an 8-4 record last fall, including an NCHSAA 1A West playoff win.

Grant Lawless

Jr. | East Lincoln

A 6-foot-3, 195-pound junior, Lawless completed just shy of 58% of passes last season for 1,599 yards and 20 touchdowns. He helped the Mustangs to eight wins in 2023, including a 361-yard, five-touchdown performance against Ledford in his first career playoff start.

Eli Sipe

Sr. | North Lincoln

Sipe led the Knights to eight wins last fall, throwing for 651 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also averaged just shy of six yards per carry en route to 371 yards and six TDs.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Here are Gastonia, Shelby high school football's returning quarterbacks to watch in 2024