Super Sophs - with More to Come: Breakout Offensive '29 Graduates

<p>One of the biggest leaps a prospect will make is from playing freshman ball to varsity. Facing competition that may be 1-, 2-, or 3- years older than you implies that they are bigger, faster, and stronger. To-date, there have been several current sophomore prospects who have made that jump flawlessly. Today, we give them their due.</p>   <p>Be sure to follow me on <a href="https://x.com/BrendanScoutsNJ">Twitter</a> for the latest New Jersey high school football prospect news and not miss a beat!</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterback</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Having started varsity as a freshman last year for an already super-competitive Somerville team, Dylan Boehm may seem like an obvious choice, and in some circles, a prospect we should skip due to his prior experience. However, I feel strongly that his performance and uptick in utilization warrants praise. Last year Boehm threw 10 touchdowns to 8 interceptions in 10 games. A year later through 4 games he has thrown 10 touchdowns to just 1 interception. Moreover, in just 80 more pass attempts he will have thrown more passes than all of last year and is about 500 yards off of last year's total. With 5 games to go and a 3-1 record, expect Boehm and the Pioneers to have a big season now, and for the next two years.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">In his first year at the helm, new head coach and friend Markell Harrison is off to a strong start at Notre Dame -- which ought to come as no surprise given Harrison is not only an outstanding coach, but football lifer. Part of his success now, and for future seasons, is tied to his sophomore starting quarterback Mason Appleton. Due to a strong defense that has only allowed 6 points across 4 contests, Appleton has had the benefit of managing the game and learning on the job. He has one of the highest touchdown marks for any sophomore quarterback with 9, as he has gone 50-86 for 690 yards and 5 picks, with an additional 117 yards on the ground. As he Appleton ages and Harrison gets to fully implement his system, expect these numbers to only increase.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Last year Bridgewater-Raritan won their first sectional title off of the heels of a whirlwind defense and moxie quarterback play from a family legacy product now at Rutgers. For the first time in several seasons the Panthers break in a new quarterback in JB Baxter. For the foreseeable future Baxter appears to be the man, and has the Panthers sitting pretty at 4-1, with their only loss coming in a shootout on the road against St. Joseph Metuchen. On the season, Baxer has been trusted to sling the rock all over the yard, passing 96 times, while completing 50 of his attempts. Moreover, he has 4 touchdowns with 5 interceptions. Given his early team success, playing experience as a sophomore, and Bridgewater-Raritan's strong coaching, expect Baxter to improve dramatically game-over-game and season-over-season.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Running Back</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Red Bank Catholic's Gabe Kemp burst onto the scene last year with a 259/1847/17 slash line during his freshman campaign killing it on varsity. Well, there has been no sophomore slump to speak of. Although he is just off his pace of 7.13 yards per carry last year (7.09 this year), he is the top rusher amongst all sophomores. Moreover, he has the Caseys sitting at 3-1, ratting off three straight wins after a one-score defeat vs. DePaul -- a team they might see again down the road in the Non-Public Group B playoffs. It will be interesting to see how Kemp maintains given RBC's last 6 games feature the stiff competition of Winslow, Rumson-Fair Haven, Donovan Catholic, and St. Peter's Prep. Needless to say, I think he is up for the challenge.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Trusting a sophomore to quarterback your offense is stressful enough; but to trust your sophomore quarterback to run a read-based offense will have your hair turn gray. Rest assured, Erman Qasemi has Lodi's offense in safe hands. The run-oriented offense has Qasemi atop the leader board in rushing touchdowns for sophomores with his 7, including 4 in one game at Bogota. With 382 yards on 41 carries, Qasemi has also gone 18-27 for 242 yards with 2 touchdowns and picks a piece. As if that was not enough, from his spot in the defensive secondary, Qasemi has made 21 tackles (13 solo) and intercepted 4 passes, returning 1 to the house. Meanwhile, he has gone 2-3 when kicking PATs and converted on 2, two-point tries. Ready for the kicker? He also has a 71-yard kick off return to his credit too. Put this all in a pot and what do you get? An undefeated, 4-0 Lodi team led by a sophomore. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Yes, I know that Walker Snee is a legit quarterback; and yes, I know his surname is popular amongst local NY Giant fans; however, the younger Snee is legit. Although it seems as if Paramus Catholic is bringing him along more slowly, breaking him in as a game manager, like his father did as an offensive lineman for Eli Manning a generation ago, Snee has shown superior athleticism when using his feet. With double-digit carries in each of the Paladins' four games, Snee has a slash line of 51/337/3 on the ground, rushing for less than 80 yards in just one contest. Meanwhile, he has gone 23-46 for 412 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 picks passing.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Receiver</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Earlier in this article we mentioned Mason Appleton's aerial success at Notre Dame. Something would tell me that Appleton would not have that <em>same </em>level of success without fellow 2029 graduate Justin Roberts. Roberts has been the recipient of 7 of Appleton's 9 touchdown tosses, scoring in every game, and accumulating 380 yards in the process on 19 receptions. His yardage total accounts for 55% of the passing yardage by Appleton. The scary thing is that these two have at least two more full years together. The sky is the limit.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Pennsville might be 2-2 on record, but could easily be 3-1. One thing is for certain, Chase Johnson has been a stabilizing force on offense. Johnson's varsity season got off to a hot start, with consecutive games of 115 yards or better, 8 receptions or more, and scores in each contest. On the season, he has 29 hauls for 424 yards and 4 touchdowns. This sort of production could yield a 1000-yard season with close to double-digit touchdowns.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Having gotten major burn as a freshman, Plainfield's Kiion Jones is going to shatter the production from his freshman season. Last fall, Jones slashed 38/479/5 when targeted. Fast forward one year, in your sophomore season, with your NFL alumni father as the coach, and you produce a 26/296/2 stat line and are destined for more.</p>

One of the biggest leaps a prospect will make is from playing freshman ball to varsity. Facing competition that may be 1-, 2-, or 3- years older than you implies that they are bigger, faster, and stronger. To-date, there have been several current sophomore prospects who have made that jump flawlessly. Today, we give them their due.