Ottawa-Kent Conferences: Top Quarterbacks
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The 2019 class was loaded with quarterbacks from the west side of the state who are now moving on to the next stage of their careers, opening up a new era of signal-callers in the Ottawa-Kent Conferences. Below are five quarterbacks who are, in my opinion, primed to have big seasons and solidify themselves as top players at the position in the greater Grand Rapids area.
Joey Silveri Joey Silveri 6'1" | 200 lbs | QB Grand Rapids Catholic Central | 2022 MI | Catholic Central 2022″
Joey racked up an assortment of accolades on his way to leading Catholic Central to the Division 4 State Championship. The rising junior was named First-Team All-State, All-Area Dream Team, and First-Team All-OK Blue, throwing for 2,845 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 1,033 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Joey has the arm strength to pick apart defenses, hitting targets in numerous spots across the field. He’s also shown the ability to throw accurately on the run, adding another element to his game and making him that much harder to prepare for. An intriguing factor that plays into the upcoming season is the realignment that passed this past October, placing Catholic Central in the more competitive OK Gold. I have no doubts that Joey will welcome the challenge and prove to be the top arm talent in the Gold and possibly all of the Ottawa-Kent Conferences.
Brennan Hayes Brennan Hayes 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Hudsonville | 2021 State MI , Hudsonville 2021″
Brennan returns as the Hudsonville signal-caller after a promising junior campaign, leading Hudsonville to an impressive 8-3 record in 2019. The rising senior has a nice touch on his intermediate passes and can hit the deep routes with consistency. While I wouldn’t label him as a true dual-threat, Brennan has proved he’s an effective runner and can slip out of a tackle and find the open field on occasion.
Watching his film, you can see that his ability to scamper in the open field is a big enough threat to cause the defense to bring up more guys in the box, leading to opportunities in the passing game for Hudsonville. Brennan has also shown the presence of mind to hang in a collapsing pocket and get a pass off knowing he’s going to take a hit. Expect Brennan to be one of the top quarterbacks in the OK Red this season.
Amari Crowley Amari Crowley 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Muskegon | 2021 State MI , Muskegon 2021″
Amari has big shoes to fill as he’ll be replacing Michigan High School Player Of The Year, Cameron Martinez. The Big Reds, widely known as one of the top programs in the state, should feel comfortable in Amari’s ability to step in and take over the offense.
Much like his predecessor, Amari is an explosive threat out of the backfield whenever he touches the ball. He has next-level athleticism and can break off big gains at a moment’s notice. Playing behind Martinez, Amari was used at multiple positions in Muskegon’s offense, which should serve him well knowing exactly where everyone else on the field will be on any given play. Expect Amari to turn heads this upcoming season and be the next big playmaker for the Big Reds.
Trinidad Chambliss Trinidad Chambliss 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB Forest Hills Northern | 2021 MI , Forest Hills Northern 2021″
Trinidad is back for his senior season ready to lead Forest Hills Northern to new heights in 2020. The dual-sport athlete has top-end speed and is a threat to break off chunk plays at any moment. He has great balance and adjusts well to throwing both in the pocket and on the run.
Trinidad has great vision and can often anticipate where the defense will break down, allowing himself to find open lanes for big plays. Due to his athleticism, Trinidad also splits out in the slot, where he’s shown to be a big-play threat whenever he touches the ball. While he may not be the prototypical every-down quarterback, Trinidad’s elite speed will cause the defense to take notice each and every down.
Mark Kornecny, Muskegon Mona Shores 2022″
Kornecny is set to replace Caden Broersma, who is onto the next stage of his career at Division II power Ferris State University. Mona Shores is coming off a Division II State Championship, which was led by a miraculous two-week performance from backup quarterback Brady Rose Brady Rose 5'8" | 170 lbs | WR Mona Shores | 2021 State MI . In most situations, the backup and senior to be would be stepping in for the departed Broersma, however, Mona Shores is likely to keep Rose in the swiss army knife athlete role, using his services in more ways than one. That puts the weight of expectation on the rising junior Konecny, who is poised to take the reigns of the Sailor program.
Konecny plays the game with great rhythm and gets the ball out of his hands in a hurry. He sees the field well and has the presence of mind to go through his reads with assured confidence. His arm strength is still developing but has all the proper mechanics to grow into one of the top quarterback talents in the 2022 class in the state. Expect the OK Black and the rest of Division II to know Konecny’s name by the end of the season.