NEW ALBANY ― Newark Catholic will lean heavily on its sophomore class this fall, but in Wednesday's 7-on-7 at New Albany it was a pair of familiar faces setting the tone on the very first play.
It's finally the last go-around for two four-year varsity lettermen − quarterback Miller Hutchison and running back Mikey Hess − and when they connected on a long touchdown pass against Beechcroft, it jump-started the Green Wave for the rest of a successful afternoon on which they also lined up against the host Eagles and Independence.
"We do that at the start a lot. Why not?" said the muscular, competitive Hess, who will line up all over the field in 2024 as NC tries to find numerous way to get the ball in his hands. "I'm looking forward to it. We have a lot of young guys, and by playing different positions I'm able to teach them as I go."
Said Hutchison: "Everyone knows Mikey Hess. He's hard-working and a great leader, and he gives us a huge advantage wherever he lines up. Teams are going to key on him, but we still have high expectations for him. I know if I get the ball anywhere near him, he's going to make the play."
On Wednesday, the sophomores making their presence felt included Hutchison's sophomore brother, Malone, who was all over the field on both sides of the ball. He caught a touchdown pass on a seam route against Independence and played center field perfectly when he picked off a deep New Albany throw. He will also back up his brother up at quarterback.
"It's a unique experience," Miller said. "Every older brother wants to play with his younger brother, and every younger brother wants to play with the older one. He runs good routes, has good hands and knows how to be in the right place."
Sophomore Jaxon Holman, who will figure heavily into the backfield and the receiving corps, also intercepted a New Albany pass, while classmates Chris Garber and Carter Chupka, the latter providing a nice target at 6 feet 4, also turned in substantial gains off Miller Hutchison passes.
Many in attendance felt the Green Wave turned in their best performance of the summer. NC earlier had passing scrimmages against Berne Union, Danville and Briggs.
"I liked the competitive spirit and the next-play mentality approach," assistant coach Tom Pickering told the team afterward. "That was the best we've been."
"Especially offensively," Miller Hutchison said. "Guys were running the right routes and understanding concepts. My receivers make it easy for me, and the sophomores are learning and getting better with all of the reps they are receiving."
Second-year head coach Josh Hendershot was glad to see his team get to compete in the quad.
"We've just been seeing one team at a time, and we were able to get different offensive and defensive looks today," he said.
After last year's disappointing 3-7 finish, when the Green Wave missed the Division VI playoffs, NC has dropped back down into Division VII, Region 27, where they have dominated in recent years. There's a sense of urgency among this year's seniors.
"We've had a good summer with good leadership from our seniors," Hendershot said. "They're keeping everyone accountable and setting the tone for the next group."
The team has been stressing three words: observe, absorb and learn, and they are especially applicable to this group.
"This is the hardest working team I've ever been a part of in the off season, and the sophomores are a big part of it," Hess said. "Going 3-7 wasn't good, but it was good in a way because it made us realize how hard we had to work for this year."
dweidig@gannett.com
740-704-7973
X: @grover5675
Instagram: @dfweidig
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Youthful Newark Catholic showing signs of growth in passing scrimmages
Most Popular
Comments / 0