The Spread Option offense is here to stay and that means that on any given night a high school passing record could be broken.
In 1975, Jimmy Jordan of Leon (Tallahassee) became the first prep quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards with 4,098. Since then, 52 quarterbacks have surpassed Jordan's total, according to the National Federation of High Schools record book and there are likely a number of passing totals that have never been reported.
Just last season, 11 quarterbacks threw for more than 4,100 yards and four of those quarterbacks return this year.
Max Browne, Skyline
Photo by Tom Lemming
So who will finish the season as the nation's leading passer? Here are 10 candidates.
Max Browne, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.), 288-409, 4,034, 45
Possibly the top quarterback prospect in the country for one of
the best teams in Washington, Browne will get plenty of opportunities to
throw the ball and his team will likely go deep in the playoffs. He had
a high game of 443 yards on 40 completions in 54 attempts last year.
Why he'll lead the nation: Skyline's chances of reaching the state finals are very good and Browne will be the reason why.
Why he won't lead the nation: Browne throws the ball only about 29 times a game, the lowest total of any player on the list.
Charlie High, Christian Academy of Knoxville (Knoxville, Tenn.), 357-484-5,191, 65 TDsHigh finished second in the nation last year with 5,191 yards, which ranks eighth all time. His lowest passing total was 100 yards and that came in a tough win over Alcoa. He eclipsed 300 yards 11 times and 400 yards four times.
Why he'll lead the nation: CAK is a likely candidate to reach the state finals, giving High a possible total of 15 games. He also averages 32 attempts per game. He has already thrown for over 500 yards, hitting for 505 in a 75-46 season-opening win.
Why he won't lead the nation: If the routs continue, CAK may slow down the passing attack in the second half of lopsided wins.
Daniel Davidson, Trinity Christian (Addison, Texas), 310-467-4331, 45
While throwing for 4331 yards last season, Davidson actually averaged more yards per game than High (360-346). Trinity Christian likes to air it out with Davidson throwing for an absurd 601 yards in a win over St. Pius X and 61 attempts in a loss to Wakeland.
Why he'll lead the nation: Davidson threw at least 30 times in all but one game. He also had two games over 500 yards.
Why he won't lead the nation: Trinity Christian lost six games last year and was eliminated after the second round of the playoffs.
Conner Manning, El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.), 327-527-4,219, 41
Possibly the top quarterback in Southern California, Manning trailed only national leader Maty Mauk of Kenton in passing attempts with 527 (Mauk had 566). His team also reached the Southwest Section championship game, giving him 14 contests on the season.
Why he'll lead the nation: Manning attempted at least 40 passes in seven different games last year and his team is capable of going far in the playoffs.
Why he won't lead the nation: The Southern Section is a tough place to play and upsets occur regularly, especially in the playoffs.
Zach Howell, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), 327-503-4,208, 46
Howell averaged, repeat averaged, 50 attempts per game. 50! That output produced five games of more than 400 yards including a high of 627.
Why he'll lead the nation: No one throws the ball more than Sunshine Academy.
Why he won't lead the nation: Sunrise Academy went just 7-3 last year and was done of the season before Halloween.
Cordell Crisp, Bald Knob (Bald Knob, Ark.), 250-431-3,790 - 40
Besides playing for one of the more interestingly-named high schools in the country, Crisp also had one of the higher per-game averages at 344 yards per game. His best game was a 553-yard effort against Corning.
Why he'll lead the nation: Crisp plays against 3A competition, but he will need his team to go deeper in the playoffs.
Why he won't lead the nation: Bald Knob posted just a 5-7 record last year.
Blake Gimbel, Marshalltown (Marshalltown, Iowa), 269-438-3,99, 39
Gimbel's already off to a strong start with 61 attempts in a season-opening loss to Ankeny. His best outing last year was a 62-attempt contest with 567 yards.
Why he'll lead the nation: Marshalltown will likely throw the ball even more this year, as evidenced by Gimbel's first outing.
Why he won't lead the nation: The longer a team's season, the better chance to lead the nation. Marshalltown lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2011.
Cole Ousley, Lone Oak (Paducah, Ky.), 247-356-3,517, 51
Ousley had one of the best seasons ever by a sophomore and he's only going to get better. The Purple Flash went deep into the playoffs and they have a history of producing prolific passers. Former Lone Oak QB Corey Robinson once threw for 5,872 yards.
Why he'll lead the nation: Past history shows that Lone Oak will give Ousley the opportunity to throw the ball.
Why he won't lead the nation: Still a junior, Ousley might be another year away from challenging for the top spot.
Lawson Vassar, Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, Ark.), Did not play in 2011
How can a player who didn't play in 2011 even be considered for this list? For one, Vassar is an outstanding athlete who ranks as one of the top baseball players in the country. Secondly, he plays for Pulaski Academy. The Bruins have a reputation of never punting the ball. They've also routinely produced some of the top yardage passers over the years, including Fredi Knighten, Thomas Thrash, Stefan Loucks and Spencer Keith.
Why he'll lead the nation: Pulaski Academy has a long history of national passing leaders thanks to an outstanding passing attack.
Why he won't lead the nation: Experience will be a factor for Vassar, who has not played since his sophomore season.
Jake Browning, Folsom (Folsom, Calif.), Did not play QB in 2011
Browning, a sophomore, didn't play varsity football for the Bulldogs last year, but that really doesn't matter. Coach Kris Richardson has taken players who played other positions, like Dano Graves and Tanner Trosin, and turned them into the most prolific passers in the country. Not surprisingly, Browning opened his season with 10 touchdown passes in a 68-28 win over Woodcreek.
Why he'll lead the nation: In successive seasons, Dano Graves threw for 3,882 and 3,702, and Trosin threw for 5,185. We see a bit of a trend.
Why he won't lead the nation: The only sophomore on the list, he will undoubtedly have some growing pains.
