Quarterbacks

[bullwark]

According to a coach for Kathleen, Grothe isn't great at any one aspect, he just makes things happen and maybe thats what USF needs after this past weekend.  My concern with Grothe is his lack of height, Kathleen has a tall line that caused problems for Grothe and D-1a football will only make it worse.  However, the kid just wins and that is the bottom line!

[Guest HowieP1]

We are recruiting another Junior QB, Jarrod Fleming:

Fleming attracting attention

Junior quarterback maturing as leader

09/23/04

By ROBYN DISNEY

Daily Commercial Staff Writer

South Sumter quarterback Jarrod Fleming had 207 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns last week in a 70-13 win against Lecanto.  

BUSHNELL South Sumter quarterback Jarrod Fleming doesn’t need to read the local newspapers to know he has been getting a lot of attention this season.

His teammates remind him.

“Carlos (Everett) and I get a lot of ragging from our teammates,†Fleming said. “They grab a newspaper and call it The Daily Jarrod or make comments about photos of us in the paper. I don’t even know about the stories half the time until I come into school and one of the other players point it out to me.

“I really don’t care, though. I just want to win.â€Â

Fleming’s attitude and playmaking abilities make him The Daily Commercial’s Player of the Week.

Last week, he totaled 207 all-purpose yards (71 yards passing, 42 yards rushing, 94 yards in kick returns) and three touchdowns in the Raiders’ 70-13 win against Class 3A-District 6 foe Lecanto.

In South Sumter’s 64-22 win against Wildwood on Sept. 11, the junior threw for three touchdowns and totaled 305 yards.

Fleming became the starting quarterback as a sophomore in 2003 after Earl Everett left for the University of Florida. Fleming threw for more than 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for six more touchdowns.

“We think he has taken his athletic ability and is making quarterbacking dangerous,†South Sumter coach Inman Sherman said. “Now he’s becoming a quarterback with great athletic ability. As we watch him develop into a quarterback instead of just an athlete, he’s just going to become more and more dangerous. We see that happen this year by him making some adjustments he would have never made last year.â€Â

Fleming said his goal this year is to throw for 2,000 yards, help the team go undefeated and win the Class 3A state title. While Sherman admits those goals are lofty, he doesn’t doubt Fleming will work hard to accomplish them. Fleming works out in the weight room with linebacker Brady Jackson every morning from 7:30 until school starts at 8:30.

“Coach (Stan) Coburn teaches a weight-lifting class, so he puts up the workout he wants his kids doing and I follow it,†Fleming said. “It’s like I’m taking the class, except doing it early in the morning. I should get credit for it.â€Â

Sherman and Fleming have noticed a change since Fleming started hitting the weights. Fleming said the program has made him faster, while Sherman has noticed the change in his quarterback’s body structure.

“Look how big his back is getting,†Sherman said as Fleming went to his car to find his wristband with plays on it. “He was a little skinny guy when he was going through the middle school program. Look at how his back leaves his hips. I just wish I could get him a little bit taller. That would make all the big (college) schools drool.â€Â

South Florida is heavily recruiting the 5-foot-11 quarterback. The Bulls already have three South Sumter graduates on their roster.

“They send me stuff all the time with their home schedule, saying they can take me down into the locker room and feed me and then come watch the game,†Fleming said. “They send the same stuff to Carlos, so we might go down there one Saturday. I’ve got a while to make that decision, though.â€Â

Sherman also said Fleming is seeing more of the field and is finding the open receivers.

“We use a lot of two- and three-receiver patterns, and we expect him to find the open receiver,†Sherman said. “He only has about a second and a half to make that decision. Last year, there were times he would throw to the guy that was covered and there would be somebody wide open.

“This year, he’s able to look at all receivers and make a decision on who will get the ball.â€Â

The one area Fleming has to work on is becoming a leader on the field for the Raiders.

“He’s always had to play with the older kids where he didn’t have to be a leader,†Sherman said. “He just had to be an athlete. That’s the one thing we’re trying to help him with is becoming a leader because he’s never had to be one as he was always the youngest kid.â€Â

Said Fleming, “One of my goals this year is to get the respect of everyone on the team. I don’t know if they respected me that much last season because I wasn’t vocal or emotional enough on the field. Like if I made a mistake, I didn’t say anything. But I’m trying to take more responsibility for my mistakes and let the team know I care.

“As we have played more together as a team, we’ve all become closer. I talk more now. I’m not as quiet as I was before.â€Â

But Fleming still sheepishly smiles and turns a bit red when he talks about the spotlight being on him.

“It seems like, someone is showing me I’ve been Player of the Week or on the cover of a football section or mentioned in a story,†Fleming said. “The other players aren’t mean about it. They are just joking around, trying to get under my skin. They know I don’t need all this. They know I just want to play.â€Â

Sherman knows that, but he also said his quarterback deserves the attention.

“He’s a great player,†Sherman said. “His work ethic is extremely good. He comes in every morning with Brady Jackson and lifts weights. He does a little more than what we ask of him. He does it on his own. If we’re preaching hard work, he’s an example of someone who is gifted and works hard, and that’s a good thing.â€Â

Honorable Mention: Freshman Matt Ballard is undefeated this season for the Eustis boys swimming team. ... Leesburg senior quarterback Tyler Hill rushed for 130 yards in the first half of the team’s 29-15 win against South Lake on Sept. 17. ... Eustis swimmer Kelsey Lubbers won two individual events last week and has the team’s best times in five events. ... Leesburg senior Dart Luce-Edwards won two individual events and two relays in a win against Umatilla on Sept. 16. ... Senior running Dominique Rocker rushed for 118 yards, 70 of those coming in the second half, in a win at Mount Dora on Sept. 17.

[CyberBull]

According to a coach for Kathleen, Grothe isn't great at any one aspect, he just makes things happen and maybe thats what USF needs after this past weekend.  My concern with Grothe is his lack of height, Kathleen has a tall line that caused problems for Grothe and D-1a football will only make it worse.  However, the kid just wins and that is the bottom line!

Grothe is actually taller than Drew Brees and last time I looked Brees was making a living on Sundays.

Joe Montana wasn't much taller and Mike Vick is generously listed as 6'1".

Throw in O'Leary's boy in Joey Hamilton who is tall enough at "5'8" to back up Peyton Manning.

USF also had a couple of successful field generals that were not exactly threatening Yao Ming in the height column.

[bullwark]

Grothe is 5' 10", how tall is Brees?

[Guest HowieP1]

Published Saturday, September 25, 2004

Harris Powers Braves' Attack

By DURWARD BUCK

Ledger Correspondent

EAGLE LAKE -- Isaac Harris finds openings as a running back simply because he plays for a pass-oriented football team. When foes spread their defenses to stop Lake Gibson's four-receiver formations, Harris has the secondary all to himself once he gets past the line of scrimmage.

He rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns Friday night as the Braves defeated Lake Region, 41-14, in a Class 4A-District 9 game on the Thunder's home field.

It was the fourth straight victory for the No. 2 ranked Braves, now 2-0 in the district. Lake Region is 1-2 and 1-1.

"He's one of the hardest workers on our team," said Lake Gibson coach Keith DeMyer. "He has the speed, and you aren't going to tackle him with one arm."

Harris scored three times in the first half as Lake Gibson built up a 34-0 halftime lead.

Game officials could have gone with a running clock in the second half, but Lake Region coach Greg Meyers wasn't going to have any of that.

His Thunder players gave a much better account of themselves in the second half, actually outscoring the Braves, 14-7, as both teams got their reserves into the game before it was over.

"We played everybody," said DeMyer.

Lake Gibson quarterback Matt Grothe also played a key role in the victory, completing 7-of-12 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. He ran for a touchdown and also threw a two-point conversion pass.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Harris zipped up the middle for 56 yards to the Lake Region 5 on his first carry of the game and scored on the next play. His other scoring runs were from 5, 19 and 29 yards.

Lake Region got a strong overall performance from senior quarterback Derek Cassidy, who did everything except operate the concession stand at halftime.

He passed six yards to Larry Zeally for a touchdown, rushed for 56 yards, ran back kickoffs, including one that set up the Thunder's first score, handled punting duties and played in the secondary on defense.

Lake Region's second touchdown came on a 40-yard reverse by Andre Patterson in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter.

Lake Gibson plays at home against Haines City next Friday while Lake Region will be host to neighboring rival Winter Haven.

[Apis Bull]

Grothe is 5' 10"

I'm sure we'll see some "Grothe" (I know, I know, bad joke), throughout the year.  He might be 6'-0" by time he gets to USF.

[bulls96go]

hope we land 2 or 3

[sdgukhsdgl]

what is with all our midget QB recruits... can we get anyone over 6'0?  

[Velcro]

Banks/Julmiste are both 6' or taller.. would you prefer sticking with them?  We could petition to keep Ronnie another year  

[Bullpride08]

A number of USF people have stood next to Matt Grothe and all agree that he's over 6ft.  The assessment is he's probably 6ft and 1/2 inches tall, but not a full 6-1 at this point.

I wouldn't put him in the midget category.  He still may grow, he's actually grown since last season.   That size isn't bad at all.... Carlton Hill is definitely 6-3.

That should satisfy all.