Video: New Indiana rushing leader
New Palestine's Charlie Spegal could set two more Hoosier State marks.
The 2019 high school football season has already seen several career state records fall, but quite a few more could tumble before the season ends.
From Arizona to Connecticut and into the heartland of Indiana, a handful of players are within striking distance of etching their names into the record books.
Gaige Garcia and Julian Fleming, teammates at Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.) could topple Keystone State marks for rushing and receiving, while New Palestine's Charlie Spegal could break two Indiana records, in addition to the rushing mark he smashed earlier this season.
Here's a look at the records most likely to fall.
Arizona Career Passing Yardage
Jack Miller,
Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.) — After throwing for 3,653 yards as a freshman at Scottsdale Christian Academy, Miller added 1,735 yards as a sophomore and 2,431 yards as a junior at Chaparral. With 451 yards in the first two games of the 2019 season, Miller has 8,270 yards in his career. That puts him 2,229 yards away from surpassing Spencer Rattler of Pinnacle, who had 11,083 yards from 2015 to 2018.
Connecticut Career Passing Yardage
Drew Pyne,
New Canaan (Conn.) — With over 2,300 yards in each of his first three seasons on the varsity, Pyne is within reach of the state record for career passing yardage. Casey Cochran of Masuk (Monroe) set the mark with 10,767 yards from 2008 to 2011. Pyne enters the 2019 season with 7,304 yards.
Pennsylvania Career Passing Yardage
Ricky Ortega,
Coatesville (Pa.) — The Red Raiders have played 15 games each of the past two seasons, so Ortega should get plenty of games to break the all-time career passing yardage record in Pennsylvania. Brett Brumbaugh of South Fayette (McDonald) finished his career with 11,084 yards from 2011 to 2014. Ortega begins the season with 7,768 yards, putting him just 3,316 yards away. He threw for 3,270 yards as a sophomore.
Pennsylvania Career Rushing Yardage
Gaige Garcia,
Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.) — Garcia already set the state touchdown record earlier in the school year, but career rushing record is also within his reach. He enters his senior year with 6,137 career rushing yards, putting him 2,941 yards away from the record of 9,078 yards set by Rushel Shell of Hopewell from 2009 to 20012. If Garcia doesn't get the record,
Kobe Brish of
Schuylkill Haven (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) might. He had 5,852 career yards entering his senior season.
Colorado Career Passing Yardage
Aidan Atkinson,
Fairview (Boulder, Colo.) — With 3,952 yards last year and 3,405 yards as a sophomore, Atkinson is well within range of the record of 10,565 yards held by Justin Holland of Bear Creek. Atkinson already has 907 yards in three games this year.
Indiana Touchdown/Points Record
Charlie Spegal,
New Palestine (Ind.) — Spegal already broke the state rushing record of 8,110 yards, held by Sammy Mireles of Elwood. Now he's going after Brett Law and his records of 952 career points and 141 career touchdowns. With 15 touchdowns in four games, to go along with the 70 touchdowns he scored last year and the 50 he scored during his freshman and sophomore years at Delta (Muncie), Spegal is seven touchdowns away from breaking Law's mark. Spegal has 720 points in his first three seasons and 90 this year, putting him 143 points away from breaking Law's point total.
Pennsylvania Career Receiving Yardage
Julian Fleming, Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.) — It would be quite an accomplishment for a team to have both the state's all-time rushing yardage leader and receiving yardage leader, but that could happen at Southern Columbia Area. Fleming, one of the top receiving recruits in the nation, reportedly has 4,128 yards receiving through the third game this year. Brian Lemelle of Bishop McDevitt has the state record with 4,529 career yards.
Colorado Career Receiving Yardage Record
Anthony Roberson II,
Palmer Ridge (Monument, Colo.) — With 3,002 yards receiving entering his senior season, Roberson, nicknamed "Duece," needs just 899 yards to pass Ryan Lenderman of Grand Junction (3,900 yards) for the career receiving yardage mark.
Career Extra Points Records
Brian Brogan of
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), and
Caleb Krockover of
West Lafayette (West Lafayette, Ind.) — Each could set the career extra points record in their respective state. Brogan has 160 to begin the season and needs 35 to surpass the Colorado record of Taylor Yancey (194), a former Valor Christian kicker. Krockover needs 43 extra points to break the Indiana record of 258 held by Robert Mechinger of Jimtown.
Gaige Garcia, Southern Columbia Area
Photo by Teresa Poplin
