Ryan Davies The only statistic that counts for Howell High School senior quarterback Ryan Davies is wins. Davies had an off-thecharts season in 2010 when he led the state in passing yardage (2,864) and touchdowns (36) in leading the Rebels to the state playoffs. Both marks were also Shore Conference records.
It would be asking too much of anyone to match or surpass those numbers, and Davies for one is not concerned about it. He does not put any pressure on himself to duplicate those feats.
“I don’t look at stats,” he said, adding that his focus is on winning. If winning requires him to throw 40 passes, fine; if the running game is clicking and he throws 10 passes, that’s fine, too. As long as the Rebels win, he will do what it takes.
That is why he does not mind the fact that the Rebels will be running the triple option at times this season, along with bootlegs.
“I don’tmind it,” Davies said. “It gives us a new dimension. Last year we were one-dimensional at times.”
As for the prospect of getting hit, “that’s football” he said.
Overlooked in Davies’ record-setting passing season in 2010 was his running. He kept many drives going by running for a first down. That skill was not lost on Howell coach Cory Davies, who is Ryan’s father.
The coach said his son runs the option well and that is why the Rebels will try to make their opponents defend it.
There are a lot of new faces on the 2011 varsity as the Rebels return only five players who were full-time starters in 2010.
The newcomers who are seniors understand what is at stake.
“There is no next year,” Davies said. “We [the seniors] want to make it [the season] count. For the [new starting] seniors, this is their one shot.”
It is the urgency that will motivate this year’s team and make the Rebels a state playoff contender again.
Some of the new talent will be in the receiving corps. Although Brandon Yaegel is the only receiver who saw considerable action in 2010, Davies has a lot of confidence in the players who will be catching his passes.
The Rebels participated in 7-on-7 tournaments (winning the Monmouth County and Shore Conference tourneys), which allowed Davies and his receivers to become familiar with each other. Their success bodes well for Howell’s passing game in 2011.
Davies said Yaegel is filling the role of possession receiver that Ryan Clark had last year, while Tory Robinson can give the team the yards after a catch that Ryan Handy brought to the Rebels in 2010.
Since Howell went to a spread offense in 2005, the Rebels have not only been one of the highest-scoring teams in the Shore Conference but one of the winningest (the Rebels have reached the state playoffs every year but one since 2005 and won the Central Jersey Group IV crown in 2007).
Davies, who has mastered the offense as well as anyone, offered his opinion on why the spread attack has been so productive.
“It’s a combination,” he said. “No one else really runs it [like Howell], so it is hard for defenses to prepare for and it is very difficult to defend. We run complex routes.”
Adjustments that have been made over the years add to the difficulty of defending the spread offense. The quarterback’s knowledge of football makes it easy for him to separate coach/quarterback from father/son.
“He knows everything about the offense and defense. You just listen to him,” Davies said of his father, explaining that the coach is very good at breaking down video and seeing plays that will work in a game.
Davies will start at safety on defense. The position needed to be filled with the graduation of Handy.
“We had an open spot there and I said I would do it,” he said. “It’s worked out. I used to play safety. It helps playing quarterback. I can see certain routes coming up that are like we run and I can read them.”
Davies explained that being a quarterback, he can predict where an opposing quarterback is going to throw a pass.
At this time last year, Davies was an unproven quarterback. He had seen action as a sophomore and had shown potential. Whether he was ready to step up and lead the Rebels was the question. He answered that in the first game of season by throwing for seven touchdowns and 455 yards in a victory over Toms River North.
Having proven what he can do, Davies is a more mature and confident player.
“I have another year’s experience,” Davies said about the difference between last season and the 2011 campaign. “Last year was about getting my feet wet. I’m more in command this year, which is good for the team. It needs the quarterback to lead.”
Howell will open the 2011 season on Sept. 10 at Toms River North High School. The Mariners have had a year to think about what Davies and the Rebels did to them in week No. 1 of the 2010 season.
“They are going to be very motivated to play us,” Davies said.
The 2011 Rebels want to continue their winning ways behind a quarterback who wants to guide his team to success.
As to playing football in college, Davies will deal with that issue after the high school season. He has had an offer from Bucknell and said he likes the Patriot League schools like Lehigh. He is also interested in the University of Pennsylvania. He will choose the school that best fits his academic and athletic skills.