One of the common threads running through the eight teams still in contention for the Class 5A championship can be found at quarterback. Each remaining contender has a good one. Although some are better than others, there isn’t a weak link in the bunch.
Here’s a look at the eight quarterbacks who are pulling the trigger for their teams in the third round. The are listed alphabetically by their school.
Blessed Trinity: J.C. French transferred in from Wesleyan during the summer. That allowed the Titans to move Duncan Reavis back to defensive back, even though he helped the team win a state championship when he served as an emergency fill-in there last year. French (6-0, 185, Jr.) already has offers from Wake Forest and Liberty.
Calhoun: Christian Lewis (5-9, 180, Jr.) has thrown for more than 2,000 yards this season and ranked No. 2 in the classification in yardage behind Greenbrier’s Brooks Pangle. Lewis makes good use of his supporting players and has strong connection with receiver Cole Speer, who surpassed 1,000 receiving yards. Lewis missed his first five passes in the second-round game against Clarke Central, but completed 15 of his final 20 for 243 yards and threw three touchdown passes.
Cartersville: The Hurricanes have two quarterbacks – Stratton Tripp, who started the season, and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who transferred in from Grayson in midseason. Tripp (6-2, 180, Sr.) has thrown for 1,391 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wilson (6-2, 200, Sr.) has thrown for 968 yards and 10 touchdowns in six games. Wilson has committed to Florida.
Coffee: The Trojans ride with senior A.J. Wilkerson, who can beat you with is arm and his feet. Wilkerson has thrown for 1,448 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 389 and seven touchdowns. A three-year starter, Wilkerson seems to rise to the occasion and scored the winning touchdown to beat Veterans.
Eastside: The Eagles got starter Jaylen Woods (6-0, 160, Sr.) back from an injury in November and he has thrown for 738 yards and four touchdowns in the five games since his return. He threw for a season-high 261 yards against Greenbrier in a game that determined the No. 2 seed. By coming back, Woods allowed the team to move Dayton Green back to wide receiver.
Jones County: John Alan Richter (6-3, 190, Jr.) has successfully stepped to take the starting spot when 3,000-yard passer Hunter Costlow graduated. Richter is the latest in the line of quarterback produced by coach Mike Chastain. He has thrown for 1,780 yards and 16 touchdowns against a difficult non-conference schedule. He’s had five games of 190-plus yards passing and threw for 202 in the first-round win over Dutchtown.
Ware County: Thomas Castellanos began his career as an athlete who was asked to play quarterback. Now he’s grown into a legit dual-threat quarterback who is starting to draw interest from the likes of Georgia Tech. This season Castellanos (5-11, 190, Jr.) has thrown for 2,622 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 824 yards and 21 touchdowns. He threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns in the second-round win over Creekside.
Warner Robins: Jalen Addie (6-3, 210) took over the starting job last season, after Dylan Fromm graduated, and took the Demons to the state title game. Addie threw for 2,297 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior and was named Region 1′s offensive player of the year. This season he’s passed for 1,414 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 754 yards and four touchdowns. He had 300 yards and led the winning touchdown drive in the region-clinching win over Ware County.
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