|
Multi-skilled Johnson fits the bill for ECU
Pirates project speedy
quarterback as explosive receiver
By
Sammy Batten
©2013 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
View the Mobile Alpha version of this page.
East Carolina's
continuous pursuit of big-play athletes, especially for its offense,
brought the coaching staff to Knightdale, NC, just outside the
capital city of Raleigh early during the 2012 season.
The ECU coaches had seen
highlight video of Knightdale's early games and were impressed by
Knights' quarterback, Marquavious "Quay'' Johnson. But what they saw in
Johnson was not only a quarterback, but a guy who moved around the field
to play tailback, wide receiver, defensive back and returned kicks.
In other words, Johnson
was the kind of multi-purpose, big-play guy who is a perfect fit for
ECU's "Air Raid'' offense.
Check that. Johnson isn't
returning kicks this year.
"He doesn't return punts
and kickoffs anymore because nobody will kick or punt to him,''
Knightdale coach Robert Senseney said.
That's just how dangerous
the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder has been with the football in his hands since
joining the Knightdale varsity as a freshman. He made his first impact
on the varsity as a tailback and slot receiver during a freshman season
highlighted by 73-yard touchdown reception in a 28-14 win against East
Wake.
Johnson would eventually
wind up on the other end of a touchdown pass when his brother and
starting quarterback Marcell suffered an injury.
"Marquavious approached us
about playing quarterback when his brother, who was one of our
quarterbacks, got hurt,'' Senseney said. "We haven't looked back since,
but we do still move him around a lot.''
The approach enabled
Johnson to collect Neuse River 4-A Conference Offensive Player of the
Year honors last season. He did most of his damage on the ground,
rushing for 1,213 yards and scoring 20 touchdowns as Knightdale finished
with a 7-4 overall record. The Knights advanced to the first round of
the state 4-A playoffs where they fell, 39-14, against conference rival
Clayton.
Two games before, Johnson
enjoyed perhaps the best game of his career to date in league play
against Harnett Central. He had touchdown runs of 48 and 54 yards, then
picked up a fumble and raced 66 yards for a third score in the 40-13
triumph.
In a 28-20 win against
East Wake earlier in the season, Senseney said Johnson made the most
spectacular play of the season on a 60-yard touchdown run.
"We were running what we
call a Jet Read, and he's the quarterback,'' Senseney said. "He ran for
a 60-yard touchdown, but he basically ran almost 150 yards to get it. He
weaved in and out, make people miss, grabbed blockers and put them in
front of him ... and the last five yards he dragged two or three kids
into the end zone with him.''
Johnson has been just as
dazzling this season in Knightdale's 3-1 start. He threw 20 yards for a
touchdown, and had scoring runs of 28 and 3 yards in the season-opening
victory against Raleigh Sanderson. In the Knights' only loss, against
Heritage, Johnson had a 28-yard touchdown pass and 1-yard scoring run,
but his biggest play wound up not counting. He had a 71-yard touchdown
run called back due to penalty that would have given Knightdale the lead
with two minutes to play.
Although his biggest prep
plays have come at quarterback, East Carolina plans to use him at
receiver, according to Senseney.
"We play him at
quarterback because he's the best athlete in our program right now,''
Senseney said. "But I think his natural position is slot receiver. He
definitely has a quick step once he gets into the open field. He's a kid
who can just get vertical, and he can make people miss.
"I think the transition to
slot receiver will be easy for him. He's played it and he understands
it. When the coaches watched him at ECU's camp last summer, it was
obvious he was one of the better receivers there.
Old Dominion had also
offered a scholarship to Johnson.
Football probably won't
the the only sport Johnson participates in at ECU. He's one of the
state's top high school track athletes, who won the state 400-meter
title (47.16 seconds) and was the anchor for two state champion relay
teams as a junior. As part of Knightdale's 4x800 relay squad, Johnson
helped break a state record in last year's 4-A meet that had stood since
1987.
"I think the plan is he's
going to try to run at ECU at some point, too,'' Senseney said. "He's
one of the best in the country in the 400.''
Johnson is so talented in
the 400 and relays that he was one of 16 chosen to represent the United
States last summer in Puerto Rico for the Caribbean Scholastic
Invitational. He earned silver medals in the 400 and 4x400 relay.
East Carolina now has 13
players verbally committed to the recruiting Class of 2014. Johnson is
the third receiver prospect in the class along with
Stephen Baggett from Beaufort, S.C., and
Curtis Burston of Middle Creek High in Apex.
E-mail Sammy Batten
Sammy Batten's Archives
Copyright 2013 Bonesville.net.
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
redistributed without specific written permission, and then only in
accordance with the terms and restrictions of that permission. Contact
editor@bonesville.net for more information about permissions and
restrictions on use and about syndication opportunities.
09/16/2013 04:43 AM |
