Analyzing The Performances Of 5 Quarterbacks Who Lit Up Week 1
In this article:
Week 1 is in the books! What a week it was too! I was at an awesome game and then all over the state elite performances happened. Today, 5 Quarterbacks who put themselves on the map Friday. Brock Riddle Brock…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWeek 1 is in the books! What a week it was too! I was at an awesome game and then all over the state elite performances happened. Today, 5 Quarterbacks who put themselves on the map Friday.
Brock Riddle Brock Riddle 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Greenwood | 2024 State IN – Greenwood Community – 6’3″ 185lbs – 2024
Riddle not only had a fantastic week 1, but a historic type of performance. He had as many incompletions as he did TDs, which was 6 on the night. That is correct, in the first week of the season, he threw for 434 yards and 6 TDs. He then added a rushing TD on the ground as well for 7 total TDs. He was absolutely phenomenal from the first drive and looked to be in midseason form. His first jaw-dropping throw was a deep shot down the field to his right which couldn’t have been handed to his receiver better. The ball could have landed in a bucket all night long. The WR didn’t have to slow up at all. However, it was Riddle’s athletic ability and awareness in the pocket, to me, that stood out even more. It’s something he clearly worked on this summer and helped out right away. He was throwing with anticipation and throwing guys open. You can’t have 512 total yards and 7 TDs and be average. Riddle’s performance was eye-opening, and he should be watched heavily moving forward because that was a ridiculous performance.
Twitter: @Riddle_Brock
Dallas Freeman Dallas Freeman 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Greenfield Central | 2025 State IN – Greenfield Central – 6’3″ 180lbs – 2025
Freeman’s arm talent has forced Greenfield Central to drop back and throw more often. A wing T/triple threat type of offense, but now they have a guy who can sling it. If Friday wasn’t an example of that, nothing will be. He was throwing comfortably over the middle of the field and putting the ball on a line. With 4 passing TDs and 231 yards, he didn’t need to play the entire game. He also added a rushing TD and had 5 total TDs on the night. He’s able to throw off-platform and on the move as well as he can in the pocket, which is fairly clean. If they wanted to, they could really open up the offense even more if they wanted. Freeman feels like he’s just scratching the surface of what he can do, and the staff may be seeing what he can take as it comes. So far, all green lights for Freeman because Friday night was impressive.
Twitter: @DallasFree15
Nolan McCullough Nolan McCullough 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Penn | 2024 State IN – Penn – 6’2″ 200lbs – 2024
There may not have been a better dual-threat performance in the state than what McCullough did on Friday night. From the first drive, you could tell he was dialed in. All night long, he was 1 step ahead of the defense. He threw his guys open, kept the ball safe, and moved the ball down the field with ease. He was hitting out routes and balls near the sideline with more confidence than in the past. It’s likely something he worked on this summer because it was drastically better than what I last saw from him. On the night, he had over 200 passing yards and then added 180 yards on the ground. He was making the right reads in the running game, pulling it, and picking up huge chunks of yards all night. He’s thick and can absorb the hits, although he wasn’t really taking big shots anyway. Either way, McCullough had such a good night that it’s hard not to be stoked for the rest of the year.
Twitter: @NolanMcC26
Aidan Arteaga Aidan Arteaga 5'11" | 185 lbs | QB Bishop Chatard | 2024 State IN – Bishop Chatard – 5’11” 185lbs – 2024
Arteaga had a really fun week 1. While in terms of numbers, they aren’t the biggest in today’s piece, but they are some of the most fun. The way he played on Friday, loose and free while letting it fly was infectious for his team. There were a few throws where he gave his WR a 50/50 ball and trusted them and they came down with it. He added 98 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. He’s a good athlete who can get the corner without hesitating and pick up a huge gain. The offense in total put up over 600+ total yards in offense and it all stemmed with Arteaga. The defense was worried about his arm and his legs, which opened up things for everyone else on the field. The defending champs didn’t seem to miss a beat on Friday, and Arteaga is a big reason why.
Twitter: @AidanArteaga10
Noah Ehrlich Noah Ehrlich 6'2" | 195 lbs | QB Crown Point | 2025 State IN – Crown Point – 6’2″ 195lbs – 2025
Ehrlich was as efficient as they come on Friday night. Crown Point looked like a well-oiled machine and the QB leading the way was a big factor for them. He came out and was throwing to spots all night long. He knew where the ball needed to be, was reading the defense, and made correct reads down after down. He only had to play 2 full quarters to get his work in as well. 310 yards on 26 passing attempts while the offense scored TD after TD. Ehrlich truly was a Point Guard dishing the rock on Friday. He’s got a good arm and can make pretty much any throw. He was comfortable in the pocket as well as throwing on the move. He’s one of the more overlooked QBs in the state, but truly shouldn’t be. A consistent performer and Week 1 came out firing. Crown Point is a sneaky good bet to make a deep playoff push as long as Ehrlich is slinging the rock.
Twitter: @Noah_Ehrlich