Eric Sorenson
Brophy Standard Time…Back East
Brophy head coach Jason Jewell crafted the hashtag #BST (Brophy Standard Time) as a way of defining the Broncos’ standards and culture, as well as their usual 5:00AM practice times.
This season, two of Jewell’s former players, are setting their own high standards, in college – thousands of miles away.
Notre Dame true freshman cornerback Benjamin Morrison, and 2022 BCP classmate, Temple quarterback EJ Warner, are not only representing Brophy football well each Saturday, they’re becoming household names in college football.
“With Ben, the thing that always separated him was his physicality,” Jewell noted to the “Zone Read.” A lot of defensive backs will tout themselves as ‘cover corners.’ Not Ben! He will come up and smack you. That is a huge part of the transition to major college football, being able to respond and play a more physical game.
“With EJ, when I say ‘student of the game,’ he was the epitome. Studies, studies, studies. He put us in so many good spots [on the field]. We asked him to get us in the right play every down, and he did it.”
Morrison, who did not enroll early, has emerged in the Irish secondary, highlighted by his two-interception performance in last weekend’s blowout win over previously unbeaten Clemson, including this house call.
96 YARDS@BMoe_21#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/SsfAZSPi6U
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 6, 2022
“I had actually gone to bed before the pick-6,” Jewell explained. “I saw the interception and the score [at that time]. Notre Dame had gone up 21-0 and I figured the game was over. Then my phone blew up afterwards and I watched it all over Twitter. I was just so happy for him. He’s an amazing human being.”
100% committed to Temple University!!! @StanDraytonTU pic.twitter.com/cP4IqSwP1N
— Elijah “EJ” Warner (@elijah13warner) January 26, 2022
Meanwhile, Warner debuted in a reserve role on September 10th against Lafayette, completing 14-18 for 173 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, then took the starting reigns the following week and hasn’t looked back since.
The 6-foot, 190-pounder has thrown for 1,848 yards, 10 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Last weekend, much like his prep teammate Morrison, he shined.
TOUCHDOWN OWLS! @elijah13warner to @JoseBarbon24 #TempleTUFF pic.twitter.com/PMU8mqORMl
— Temple Football (@Temple_FB) November 5, 2022
Warner’s final stat line in the lopsided win over USF: 27-36, 344 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions.
Jewell understands the challenges of coming in as a true freshman and taking over behind center.
“It is one of the most difficult things to do in college athletics,” Jewell noted. “The game is so much faster, so much more complex, longer and the players are obvioulsy more talented, and more physical.”
Their former high school coach doesn’t find their instant on-field success as any surprise.
“Not one bit,” he said without hesitation. “These are two kids that were so football saavy when they played for us, it was insane. The amount of information they were able to process was amazing.”
Friendly Neighbor
Already facing a short week leading up to Central’s biggest game in several years, head coach Chandler Hovik’s preparation for the Bobcats 5A Metro Region Championship showdown against Camelback hit a major road block Monday when school officials realized their game balls were stolen on school property.
With no time to purchase and “break in” new balls for practice, Hovik sought nearby help in hopes of keeping the Bobcats’ game prep on track.
“I reached out to Coach Jewell and let him know the situation and before practice he showed up with three broken in game balls for us to use,” Hovik explained to the “Zone Read.” “He even wrote ‘Central Football’ on them.
“It’s nice knowing our neighbors across the street are looking out for us and we would do the same for them. It meant a lot to us that he would do that. Or else we may have had to play with a Nerf ball Thursday night.”
Both teams are 4-0 in region play entering the game at Central.
These 12 seniors have a special place in my heart. They were my first freshman class when I took over the program 4 years ago. Thank you guys for everything. We came in as losers, turned into winners and are looking to become champions on Thursday night 🏈 #BobcatBrotherHood pic.twitter.com/wsV2J3iB8M
— Chandler Hovik (@CoachHovik) November 9, 2022
In the season of giving thanks, and sharing, Coach Jewell went above and beyond.
Selflessness is such a beautiful thing.
Road Warriors
It’s taken nearly four years but “Zone Read” is excited to finally see senior quarterback Richard Stallworth and Yuma Catholic when they make the 200-mile trip from southwest Arizona to central Phoenix Friday for their 4A matchup against St. Mary’s at Phoenix College.
For the Shamrocks, road trips are nothing new. Yuma Catholic has already played at Lake Havasu, Buckeye, Glendale, and Peoria.
“Honestly, we’re used to [the travel],” Stallworth said to the “Zone Read” earlier this week. “[We] feel like it’s worth going up there and beating teams at their own house. You get an extra sense of accomplishment at that point.”
Earlier this season against Buckeye, Stallworth became the state’s career leader for touchdown passes at any level, then went on to become the Arizona’s all-time passing leader in the Shamrocks’ first season in 4A.
Yuma Catholic QB Richard Stallworth’s 2nd trip into the record books breaks Spencer Rattler’s all-time passing yards. Stallworth had 252 yards in 31-30 loss to Northwest, giving him 11,152 in 3 years. He could have had more but two TD passes were called back by holding calls
— Richard Obert (@azc_obert) October 29, 2022
The matchup will feature St. Mary’s stingy defense (allowing just over 13 points per game), against YC’s high-octane offense which has scored at least 35 points in seven of their nine games this fall.
Both teams enter the contest 7-2.
