Class 5A passing yards leaders through three weeks

At the halfway point of the fall football season, plenty of quarterbacks are putting up solid passing numbers. In Colorado’s top classification, there are many intriguing prospects who have gone out and thrown the ball all over the field in 2020. Here is a look at the passing leaders entering Week 4 in Class 5A. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="22553" first="Leslie" last="Richardson III"], 2021, 6’3, 210, QB, Smoky Hill</span></strong> Richardson III is accurate and can make all the throws for Smoky Hill. His quick release allows him to throw to his receivers in their breaks, and he fits the ball into the window with that separation. In addition to showing great timing with his receivers, Richardson can also push the ball down the field and take a shot deep, and he gives his talented receivers a chance to win 1-on-1 battles. One of his best traits is his accuracy and taking care of the football, completing 60 percent of his passes and throwing 10 touchdowns to just one interception so far. He is also a dual-threat and can extend plays with his scrambling and will tuck the ball and run when he needs to. His 950 yards is the most in Class 5A, and the senior who already has some FCS offers could see more options open to play at the next level. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="22561" first="Liam" last="O’Brien"], 2021, 6’1, 192, QB, Fairview</span></strong> O’Brien is decisive and makes quick reads in Fairview’s air-raid attack. He can get the ball outside on the swing pass, throw over the middle on intermediate throws, or will allow a receiver to go deep on the outside. Because he throws so many times (29 attempts is the fewest in a game so far), he must take care of the football and give his playmakers a chance. So far, his 60 percent completion rate and eight touchdowns have done just that. He can move in the pocket to avoid the rush, allowing some plays that take longer to develop to happen. It’s a given that Fairview will be near the top in passing yards and he is so far with 901 passing yards. More importantly, wins over Rocky Mountain and Fossil Ridge have them all alone at the top of the league standings and sitting No. 6 in the latest polls released by CHSAA. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="22547" first="Julian" last="Hammond III"], 2021, 6’2, QB, Cherry Creek</span></strong> He’ll be playing basketball for Tad Boyle at Colorado next year, but the veteran quarterback who shows great maturity can also spin it on the football field. With so many weapons around him, he gets the ball out of his hands quickly and lets his receivers do most of the work after the catch. Hammond has completed a staggering 76 percent of his passes, and he is reliable in the red zone to find his top receivers, resulting in 743 passing yards and 13 touchdowns for the No. 1 ranked team in the state. He stands tall in the pocket and has shown the ability to read defenses well and make the right read frequently. But it’s his leadership that stands out the most when talking about Cherry Creek, and the calm and cool quarterback has the right mindset to lead the Bruins on another push to the state title. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Evan Hurlburt, 2021, 6’0, 180, QB/DB, Arvada West</span></strong> Hurlburt has a strong arm as is not afraid to show it off. He can push it down the field deep, but he also is willing to go from the far hash to the sideline. He stands tall in the pocket when he has time to throw, and he is just as comfortable throwing on the move on designed rollouts. The baseball prospect so far has thrown for 586 yards and is averaging 13.9 yards per completion. His team has played a strong schedule with the likes of Columbine, Mullen and ThunderRidge, but Hurlburt has given his team a chance in each of their games. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Tyler Kubat, 2023, 6’5. 180, QB, Fossil Ridge</span></strong> Kubat made Fossil Ridge a threat in the 5A North. The sophomore has the right build of a pro-type quarterback standing tall at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds. He has thrown for 550 yards and looks for big plays, resulting in an average of 16.6 yards per completion. That is despite a rough game with Fairview where he completed just four passes for 47 yards in a loss. He is starting to get comfortable with more reps and is emerging as a good prospect in the Class of 2023 in Colorado. Look for his growth to be a key for Fossil Ridge to win out in the second half of the season. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Next tier passing leaders</span></strong> <strong>Khalil Howard, 2021, 6’0, QB, Eaglecrest:</strong> 42-66, 489 passing yards, 2 TD, 3 INT <strong>Johnny Colombi, 2021, 6’3, 185, QB, Castle View:</strong> 16-24, 421 yards, 5 TD <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22637" first="Kalen" last="Shoemaker"], 2021, 5’10, 135, QB, Legend:</strong> 26-37, 414 passing yards, 5 TD, 2 INT <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22683" first="Dane" last="Dougherty"], 2022, 6’3, 177, QB, Mountain Vista:</strong> 29-60, 378 passing yards, 4 TD, 4 INT <strong>Kyle Lindbloom, 2021, 5’10, QB, Highlands Ranch:</strong> 28-56, 340 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT