Harrisburg's new QB, and how Centralia's defense is improving: Week 4 high school football takeaways
The biggest risers in Boone County high school football are making themselves known after the first quarter of the season.
Two quarterbacks have emerged countywide — one at Father Tolton and another at Harrisburg — as budding talents. Meanwhile, a scary-good defense is growing in Centralia.
Here are our takeaways from Week 4 of prep football.
Harrisburg's new quarterback — and why he works so well
To start the season, Anthony Alicea was the guy taking snaps at quarterback for Harrisburg.
The all-purpose athlete threw for 191 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions in the season-opening win over Cabool. Now, Harrisburg has Trace Combs as its QB1.
It's not for anything that Alicea has done wrong. It's more of a testament of how well Combs is playing at quarterback.
The sophomore has thrown for 419 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions so far this season.
In four games, Combs has a 2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. In other words, he throws two touchdowns for every interception.
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This is impressive for an underclassman tasked with playing the offense's most important position and getting the ball to a group of talented seniors.
Combs' emergence also allows Alicea to move back out as a receiver and all-purpose player. He can make plays in the run game and make plays in the open field as a receiver.
Austin Darwent has been a prime beneficiary, too. With Combs at quarterback, Darwent has recorded 186 receiving yards and two touchdowns in two games.
This also opens up avenues for running back Hayven Samuels, who ran for 113 yards and a score against Paris.
It's as simple as allowing Harrisburg's best players to play the positions they're best at. It takes mounds of trust for the Bulldogs' coaching staff to give the keys to the offense to a sophomore, but head coach Steve Hopkins' move is paying off already.
And Combs is only going to get better.
How Centralia's defense is improving
There's an edge that Centralia plays with, and if you haven't seen this team play, now is as good a time as any.
The Panthers' offense gets the job done. Kyden Wilkerson is one of the toughest running backs in Boone County, and Cullen Bennett is growing into his role as Centralia's quarterback.
But even more impressively, since a thrilling win over Hallsville, the Panthers have allowed eight total points in two games.
A reason why? Centralia's budding pass rush.
In the wins over Palmyra and Brookfield, the Panthers had 15 tackles for loss and five sacks combined. Players like Jack Romine and Seth Hasekamp are hitting their strides, and others like defensive back Jesse Shannon are also making plays in the backfield.
This is a testament to how good Centralia's defense is, period. It's also a testament to the coaching staff's ability to use those players effectively and in different ways.
Shannon is one of those versatile players. He has recorded two sacks, five tackles for loss and an interception so far this season. A presence like that helps Hasekamp and Romine, and vice versa.
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Jake Ryan's emergence is the budding of a star
Against Principia, Jake Ryan needed only one half of play to push Father Tolton to a 3-1 record on the season.
After that, he just sat back and relaxed.
His final stat line of 6 of 7 passing for 157 yards and four touchdowns decimated Principia and earned Tolton a road win on Saturday. Ryan also had a 30-yard run.
As the offensive leader, Tolton recorded 348 total offensive yards Saturday with Ryan at quarterback. Ryan threw touchdown passes of 25, 57, 27 and 34 yards.
Jonah Lybeck-Brown was an unquestioned offensive leader as a senior for Tolton last season. It's why the Trailblazers had a winning record for the first time in years. With Ryan, the program can pick up where Lybeck-Brown left off and push beyond it.
Players like Cameron Lee and James Lee are talented athletes. They can take an inch and make a house call in the end zone in a matter of seconds.
Having Ryan, a first-year starter who has displayed some serious arm talent as a junior, already showing his skills means Tolton's offense can go even further this season.
Head coach Michael Egnew told the Tribune each of Tolton's players needed to earn their starting spots in 2022.
Ryan has earned his role and more.
Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Why is Centralia's defense so good? High school football takeaways
