Veteran St. Peter’s Prep head football coach Rich Hansen has had a lot of good quarterbacks over his coaching career, including one, Will Hill, who went on to become a high school All-American and ended up first at the University of Florida and later the NFL.
But none that could even come close to what current senior Brandon Wimbush has achieved during the first two weeks of the new season.
“No question, we put a lot on Brandon,” Hansen said. “You take what he did last year [throwing for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns] and look what he did in the offseason to get ready, in terms of preparation, conditioning and other work, and he’s basically done what’s expected of him.”
So Wimbush’s incredible start hasn’t exceeded expectations?
“Not really,” Hansen said. “He’s played as well as I thought he could play. I still think he can play even better.”
Those are strong words coming from a coach who just saw his quarterback have perhaps the best start any Hudson County signal caller has ever enjoyed.
Wimbush started the season with a mild 7-of-10 passing day for 92 yards and three touchdowns against Wise of Maryland in a 35-9 win that was halted in the third quarter due to thunderstorms.
What he achieved last Thursday night against Bergen Catholic is beyond comprehension.
Wimbush completed 19 of 24 passes for 348 yards and five touchdowns and also added five rushing carries for an additional 74 yards and a touchdown.
It means that Wimbush totaled 422 yards of offense and six TDs in the Marauders’ shocking 49-20 rout of Bergen Catholic – a game where the Marauders showed the national TV audience on ESPNU why they are currently ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and No. 12 nationwide, collecting a 49-0 halftime lead.
To even fathom that the Marauders could be up 49-0 on anyone in the first half, much less a perennial state power like Bergen Catholic, is beyond imagination.
Wimbush obviously had a lot to do with it.
For his efforts, Wimbush has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week, the first such honoree in the 2014-15 scholastic sports year. The weekly feature will culminate with the presentation of the Hudson Reporter Male and Female Athletes of the Year next June and July.
Wimbush, who grew up in Teaneck, knew all about the Bergen Catholic football mystique. So he was also a little surprised with the halftime score and his offensive explosion.
“Not in my wildest dreams did I think that was possible,” Wimbush said. “I felt pretty comfortable about the game and I thought we had a pretty good shot. I think the big lead was a reality check for us and made us keep the pedal to the metal.”
“I don’t know if we’ve ever seen the likes of a quarterback like him in Hudson County,” Hansen said. “He dominates the position, in terms of his physical attributes, in terms of his preparation. He has all talent in the world. That’s what makes him really special.”
Because Wimbush has prepared for this senior year for the last three seasons, Hansen believed he was ready for the challenge, long before he made the verbal commitment to go to Penn State next fall, long before he was ranked among the top three signal callers in the entire country.
“I’ve stopped using the word potential with Brandon,” Hansen said. “He is no longer doing it with potential. He’s arrived. As he goes on, I hope he gets better and that translates to great numbers for him and wins for us. He’s had a really good two-game stretch, but I don’t think he’s done anything differently. Everyone wants to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ about the Bergen Catholic game, but that’s who he is. I’m kind of spoiled, because I see it all the time.”
Wimbush said that he worked hard in the offseason preparing for this year.
“I think I’ve grown tremendously in the offseason,” Wimbush said. “Having the year’s experience under my belt was a benefit. All the guys around me are more experienced and we’ve been playing together for two or three years. That helps tremendously.”
And yes, Hansen believes that Wimbush is already a better quarterback than Hill, who was released in June by the New York Giants because of his drug problems and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens, currently sitting out a six-game suspension.
“Without a doubt, he’s a better quarterback than No. 3 [Hill],” Hansen said. “Hill was just a tremendous athlete playing the position. Brandon is a true quarterback. I just had this conversation with someone that Brandon could be among the five best high school football players I’ve ever seen. He could be one of those guys, but Brandon still has a long way to go.”
Wimbush, a very humble young man who has yet to reach his 18th birthday, was flattered by his coach’s words.
“Will was an outstanding athlete,” Wimbush said. “To hear that praise from someone who has been around the game for as long as he has, someone who has seen it all, is an honor for me. I just want to give back to him what he’s given to me.”
Wimbush has already gained national attention for his exploits. He’s already been featured on national television on ESPN twice. He’s been interviewed for an upcoming feature in Sports Illustrated.
“It’s an awesome experience,” Wimbush said. “It’s an honor and a blessing to have this opportunity. I’m just trying to make the most of the experience.”
Wimbush is clearly a credit to his parents, namely dad Shawn and mom Heather.
“They gave me tremendous support,” Wimbush said. “They steered me in the right direction. I think the organization and the outstanding school have helped. Without it all, I wouldn’t be where I am. It all teaches you how to be a man.”
“He is mature for his age, no question,” Hansen said. “I think that helps him at the position. From the minute he was a freshman, he was getting attention. He had college coaches all poking at him. But I always thought he would be this. He’s handled it all very well. It takes a lot of maturity for a 17-year-old kid. We do our best to keep him grounded and keep him focused. If he keeps working hard, everything will take care of itself.”
Wimbush led the Marauders to the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 finals last December against Paramus Catholic at MetLife Stadium, but suffered an injury that forced him out of the game, a contest that the Marauders eventually lost.
Wimbush was asked if that setback was a driving motivation for him during the offseason.
“I don’t want to say I let the team down,” Wimbush said. “But I wanted to put it all out there and didn’t get the chance. So I went back to the weight room two weeks later, just driven to get better. I worked non-stop in the weight room. I worked hard to improve my quarterback skills.”
“I think he’ll tell you that it’s something he thinks about all the time,” Hansen said. “I think it keeps his motor running. I think that is giving him an edge. He wants to bring us back there and this time get it right. The way to solidify that is to win 12 games.”
Two down, 10 more to go. The way Brandon Wimbush started this season, who is to deny him the chance to dance come December? – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.