Meet Stephen Cannon, Benedictine's next stellar quarterback with DI offers

Benedictine has had a run of top-notch quarterbacks, headlined by the play of Luke Kromenhoek, now a freshman at Florida State and Holden Geriner, entering his third season at Auburn. The duo led BC to back-to-back Class 4A state titles in 2021 and 2022.

Head Coach Danny Britt and his staff realize they have been blessed with the wealth of talent at the most important position on the football field, and it looks like that trend is set to continue with Stephen Cannon taking over behind center.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound junior has paid his dues as Kromenhoek's understudy for the last two seasons. He saw very limited action last year, but did have an impressive performance when he threw for 138 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Islands.

Cannon hasn't started a varsity game, but he's already on the radar of college recruiters with offers from USF and Miami of Ohio. He has embraced his new role during spring and summer workouts for a Cadet squad that is expected to contend for another state crown.

"Practices have been great and we're looking really good as a team," Cannon said. "It's been fun and I'm excited to finally get a chance to play."

Cannon said working with Kromenhoek and offensive coordinator/quarterback coach A.J. DeFilippis has helped him build a foundation to work from.

"I obviously learned a lot about mechanics from watching Luke, but he also taught me a lot about leadership," Cannon said. "He wasn't the kind of guy who would always be yelling at his teammates, and he made sure to get to know everyone as a person, and I took a lot from that."

Cannon watches the top quarterbacks in the NFL closely and said he tries to emulate the best-of-the-best in players like Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

"I hope to play like Joe Burrow ― I can make all the throws, but can run it when I need to," Cannon said. "I think I've improved a lot with my decision making. Coach DeFilippis has worked with me in the film room and on the field and I feel like I know what the defensive play is immediately when I see a formation and know how to react."

Cannon is a three-sport standout at BC who also excels at basketball and track and field, where he competes in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles and as a sprinter. He ran a personal best time of 11.48 seconds in the 100 meters in the spring and was a member of the Cadets 4x100 meter relay team that finished second in the Class 4A state meet with a time of 41.85. He was ninth at the state meet with a personal best time of 40.63 in the 300 hurdles.

Last season, Kromenhoek rushed for 558 yards and seven touchdowns (while throwing for 2,578 yards and 24 scores), and Cannon thinks he can also complement his arm with his legs.

"Luke is the type of guy who will run you right over," Cannon said. "I think I can run the ball well too, but I'll do it by juking you and running by you."

Cannon said he has as strong bond with his teammates, especially the skill position players who are also his track and field partners. Receivers Bubba Frazier and Jack Ganum, along with running back Stanley Smart Jr. are ready to show off their blazing speed on the football field this fall.

"We've got a lot of chemistry with our group, and I know I can rely on them on the football field as well as on the track," Cannon said. "If there is a broken play, they all are going to find a way to get open."

Frazier grew up playing alongside Cannon, since they were in the sixth grade when both attended Savannah Country Day.

"Stephen is a great quarterback and I think he's going to shock a lot of people this year," said Frazier, who picked up an offer from UGA last week. "Everyone knows what a strong arm Luke (Kromenhoek) has, but Stephen has great accuracy and I think his arm is getting stronger every year. He's been working really hard."

Britt agrees with Frazier's assessment of the Cadets' new signal caller.

"I'm really proud of the way Stephen has taken on his new role," Britt said. "He's worked hard to become a better quarterback physically. He's got strong arm and can make all the throws and he can really run. He's an amazing athlete. I've been impressed with how he has emerged as a leader. I think people are going to be really impressed when they get a chance to see him play this year."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Meet Stephen Cannon, Benedictine's next stellar quarterback with DI offers