13 quarterbacks to watch for in the 2015 New York high school football season

Video: Jack Coan's highlights vs. Lawrence
See the Sayville High quarterback in action during a game at Hofstra University.

Those who say high school football is a fall sport would be well-served by taking a tour of sites throughout New York during June, July and August.

One would be hard-pressed to find a single day during this stretch (except July 4 and a handful of Sundays) in which varsity players weren't participating in team camps, passing scrimmages, linemen challenges and seven-on-seven events.

While the flurry of activity has indeed made football very much a sport of summer, as well as fall, summer events do provide a special opportunity for quarterbacks to show their skills because of the lack of full gear and full contact.

So as the start of the fall – there, we said it – season rapidly approaches, here's a look at a baker's dozen quarterbacks to keep an eye on this coming season in the NYSPHSAA.


Jack Coan, Sayville, Junior
Months after committing to Notre Dame for lacrosse last summer, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Coan set Long Island records for passing yards, with 3,430, and touchdowns, with 40. The breakthrough season has resulted in widespread interest for football from such major D-I programs as Miami, Michigan and Maryland.

Jason Martin, South Shore (Brooklyn), Junior
Regarded as the top quarterback in New York City, the 6-3, 235-pound Martin has ideal size and also very good speed, running the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds.

Jason Bailey, Cornwall Central (New Windsor), Senior
The 6-1, 205-pound Bailey used his size, speed and strong arm to enjoy one of the best individual seasons of any quarterback in the nation last year. He threw for 2,560 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Matt Catalano, Brewster, Senior
A multi-faceted force on offense, the 6-1 Catalano is a threat to run with the ball at any time, but especially in the red zone.

Josh Feyerabend, Unatego (Otego), Senior
Feyerabend set the stage for his 2,000-yard passing season in 2014 by throwing for a state-record 581 yards in an 80-53 loss to Tioga in the Section 4 Class D title game in 2013. The previous record holder was Greg Paulus (543 yards in 2003), who went on to play basketball at Duke.

Nick Crennan, Chaminade (Mineola), Senior
The 5-10, 170-pound Crennan is an athletic and elusive player with good speed (4.7 in the 40) and a nice touch on his passes. He was 12-for-18 with 315 yards passing in a 48-29 win against St. John the Baptist in the CHSFL AA title game.

Alec Beesmer, Kingston, Sophomore
A starter as a freshman, the 6-1, 170-pounder threw for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. Beesmer's father, Ken, who played as a linebacker at Lehigh, is a 1987 Kingston grad.

Bill Flatow, Mamaroneck, Senior
The 6-1, 185-pound Flatow, a dynamic field general, threw for 1,137 yards last fall, completing 52 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns. He is an excellent drop-back passer with a strong and accurate arm.

Dean Rotger, Our Lady of Lourdes (Poughkeepsie), Senior
The agile and elusive Rotger runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. He is a three-year starter and first-team all-state selection.

Hunter Keech, John Jay (Cross River), Senior
Keech's collegiate future is in lacrosse at Fairfield University, but he has distinguished himself as one of the most versatile and multi-faceted offensive weapons in the Hudson Valley. Equally effective as a passer and rusher, he has also established himself as a strong receiver.

Jared Gerbino, Rush-Henrietta (Henrietta), Senior
Gerbino has a perfect combination of size (he's 6-4, 220 pounds) and speed (he runs a 4.8 in the 40).

Ryan O'Malley, Monroe-Woodbury (Central Valley), Senior
In his first year as starter, all the 6-1, 180-pound O'Malley did was throw for more than 1,000 yards and establish himself as a dual threat.

Davien Kuinlan, Plainedge (Massapequa), Senior
A strong and dominant passer/thrower, the 6-1, 215-pound Kuinlan rushed for 2,300 yards and passed for another 1,200, accounting for a combined 42 touchdowns.

Multimedia news and sports editor and producer Joe Lombardi is director of media initiatives and managing editor of the DailyVoice.com, as well as the primary author of the most recent edition of "Lacrosse for Dummies." Follow Joe on Twitter @Joe_Lombardi or e-mail jlombardi@dailyvoice.com.