SMU /Navy ?
- Thread starter hawkeye
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MAKING A STATEMENT: Navy?s starting quarterback for Saturday remains a mystery with Niumatalolo non-committal about the status of season-long starter Zach Abey.
Abey suffered a shoulder injury during the fourth quarter of last Thursday?s loss to Temple and is still recovering. The Archbishop Spalding product dressed, but did not participate in live drills on Monday. The Pasadena resident did take repetitions on Tuesday and Wednesday, but is not 100 percent, according to Niumatalolo.
?Zach has played tremendously hard for us and done a lot of good things. He is definitely banged up. We?re at a critical part of the season and hopefully he gets healthy,? Niumatalolo said after Wednesday?s workout. ?Zach is a tough kid and has done a good job of getting treatment, but he?s human and they hit him hard.?
Meanwhile, backup quarterback Garret Lewis has seen his stock rise considerably over the past two games. Lewis took over under center during the second half of the Central Florida loss after Abey suffered a concussion and ran the offense effectively. Lewis finished out the fourth quarter against Temple and directed two touchdown drives.
?It definitely felt good to get into games and get some live reps, just get my feet wet a little bit. I feel a lot more comfortable now,? Lewis said.
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ivin Jasper has said several times this season that Navy can win with Lewis at quarterback. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior showed that faith was warranted with his performances in a relief role.
?It?s always good to go out and perform. Having the coach?s confidence means all the world to me. So to go out there and show that I can do the job is a big boost mentally,? Lewis said.
Lewis played in a passing offense at Sipsey Valley High in Alabama and earned honorable mention All-State honors as a junior. He was a three-sport athlete, earning a total of 11 letters in football (4), basketball (4) and baseball (3).
Jasper said there was a time during spring practice that he would have started Lewis over Abey if Navy had to play a game. Unfortunately, Lewis suffered a knee injury toward the end of spring drills and underwent offseason surgery.
?It was disappointing at first. At the same time, those things happen. I just had to go through rehab and get myself ready to go. It was just about recovery,? Lewis said.
Lewis was completely rehabilitated and operating at full-speed when August training camp began, wearing a knee brace as a precaution. Jasper said the Naval Academy Prep School product was disappointed when Abey was named the starter and was impressed that Lewis worked even harder thereafter.
?I don?t let my confidence waver. I keep pushing every day. If my number is called, I?m ready to go,? Lewis said. ?Our scout team does a really good job of playing at a high pace. So going against the scout team really prepared me well.?
Lewis, who had never seen any varsity action before being inserted into the Central Florida contest, was asked if there is anything he has learned from getting into games.
?Moving forward, I just have to focus on making all the right reads and being smart with the ball ? all the usual stuff,? he said.
Abey suffered a shoulder injury during the fourth quarter of last Thursday?s loss to Temple and is still recovering. The Archbishop Spalding product dressed, but did not participate in live drills on Monday. The Pasadena resident did take repetitions on Tuesday and Wednesday, but is not 100 percent, according to Niumatalolo.
?Zach has played tremendously hard for us and done a lot of good things. He is definitely banged up. We?re at a critical part of the season and hopefully he gets healthy,? Niumatalolo said after Wednesday?s workout. ?Zach is a tough kid and has done a good job of getting treatment, but he?s human and they hit him hard.?
Meanwhile, backup quarterback Garret Lewis has seen his stock rise considerably over the past two games. Lewis took over under center during the second half of the Central Florida loss after Abey suffered a concussion and ran the offense effectively. Lewis finished out the fourth quarter against Temple and directed two touchdown drives.
?It definitely felt good to get into games and get some live reps, just get my feet wet a little bit. I feel a lot more comfortable now,? Lewis said.
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ivin Jasper has said several times this season that Navy can win with Lewis at quarterback. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior showed that faith was warranted with his performances in a relief role.
?It?s always good to go out and perform. Having the coach?s confidence means all the world to me. So to go out there and show that I can do the job is a big boost mentally,? Lewis said.
Lewis played in a passing offense at Sipsey Valley High in Alabama and earned honorable mention All-State honors as a junior. He was a three-sport athlete, earning a total of 11 letters in football (4), basketball (4) and baseball (3).
Jasper said there was a time during spring practice that he would have started Lewis over Abey if Navy had to play a game. Unfortunately, Lewis suffered a knee injury toward the end of spring drills and underwent offseason surgery.
?It was disappointing at first. At the same time, those things happen. I just had to go through rehab and get myself ready to go. It was just about recovery,? Lewis said.
Lewis was completely rehabilitated and operating at full-speed when August training camp began, wearing a knee brace as a precaution. Jasper said the Naval Academy Prep School product was disappointed when Abey was named the starter and was impressed that Lewis worked even harder thereafter.
?I don?t let my confidence waver. I keep pushing every day. If my number is called, I?m ready to go,? Lewis said. ?Our scout team does a really good job of playing at a high pace. So going against the scout team really prepared me well.?
Lewis, who had never seen any varsity action before being inserted into the Central Florida contest, was asked if there is anything he has learned from getting into games.
?Moving forward, I just have to focus on making all the right reads and being smart with the ball ? all the usual stuff,? he said.
