Video: Early Contenders - Top 10 Quarterbacks Grant Gunnell and Spencer Rattler top the list of gunslingers to watch in 2018.
Texas is the home of a number of NFL quarterbacks, but none of them can claim the distinction of being the all-time leading high school passer in the Lone Star state. That honor could go to St. Pius X quarterback Grant Gunnell, who is on pace to break state career records in completions, yardage and touchdowns by the time the season is done.
Gunnell is one of several players in the nation who are within reach of state records.
10 players who could break state football records in 2018
Pinnacale's Spencer Rattler should start breaking Arizona passing records this season.
Photo by Kevin French
Already the all-time leading private school passer in Texas history, Gunnell is gunning for the top spot in Texas overall. With 730 completions, 1,043 attempts, 11,356 yards and 142 touchdowns, Gunnell is within easy striking distance of holding all four marks. Hunter Lile of Booker (2011-14) holds the record for completions with 1,047 and the attempts mark with 1,677. Lile also holds the all-time yardage mark with 14,408 yards while Travis Quintanilla of Refugio (2010-13) holds the touchdown mark with 186.
Gunnell completed 361-of-507 for 4,936 yards and 61 touchdowns last year, so only the career attempts record looks a bit out of reach, assuming he equals the numbers he put up as a junior.
Spencer Rattler, Pinnacle (Phoenix)With 643 completions in 1,046 attempts for 9,220 yards and 93 touchdowns, the state records for the Arizona quarterback are going to start falling quickly. The state record for completions is just 664 while the attempts mark is 1,079. Rattler needs about 1,200 yards to surpass Emmanuel Gant of Tempe for the career yardage mark of 10,489 and he is 44 touchdowns away from tying Chase Cord (137) of Sunrise Mountain.
Cade McNamara, Damonte Ranch (Reno, Nev.)The Reno quarterback has thrown for 9,089 yards and 107 touchdowns while completing 593 passes in 1,042 attempts. He needs 32 touchdowns to pass Jarrett Solomon of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), who had 138 touchdowns between 2009-12. He will need to throw for just under 3,000 yards to surpass Kenyon Oblad of Liberty (Henderson), who set the yardage record last year with 11,828 yards. Oblad also holds the state record for completions with 718 and attempts with 1,220.
Sam Howell, Sun Valley (Monroe, N.C.)Although he would need to have an outstanding season, Howell could break the career passing yardage record in North Carolina, held by Chris Leak. In four seasons at Independence (Charlotte, N.C.), Leak threw for 15,593 yards. Howell has thrown for 10,175 yards in three seasons, but has not thrown for over 3,586 yards in a single season.
Eric Gray, Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tenn.)Although he's about 3,500 yards away from breaking the career rushing yardage mark, the career touchdown record is well within reach. Troy Flemming of Battle Ground Academy had 132 career touchdowns while Gray enters the 2018 season with 96. Gray scored 49 touchdowns last year.
Jacardia Wright, St. Teresa (Decatur, Ill.)With 6,212 career rushing yards, Wright needs just over 2,800 rushing yards to slip past James Robinson of Lutheran (Rockford, Ill.), who had 9,045 career rushing yards.
Nolan Groulx, Hough (Cornelius, N.C.)
CJ Johnson, D.H. Conley (Greenville, N.C.)Both of these North Carolina receivers have a shot at breaking the state career receiving yardage total of 4,915 yards by Conner O'Donnell of Mountain Island Charter (Mt. Holly). Groulz has 3,245 yards in his career while Johnson has 3,497 yards. Johnson had 1,547 yards last year, while Groulz had over 1,800 yards receiving as a sophomore at Davidson Day.
Sam Thomasson, Columbus East (Columbus, Ind.)After kicking 96 extra points as a junior, Thomasson has 212 career extra point kicks. He needs 47 extra points this year to break the state record of 258 by Robert Menchinger.
Kolton McGhee, Bishop Guilfoyle (Altoona, Pa.)With 203 extra points in three seasons, McGee needs just 17 extra points to surpass Justin Wombacher of Hickory (Hermitage, Pa.), who had 219 extra points from 2011-14.
