Spring football practice begins this month, and one of the players with a terrific upside is junior left-handed quarterback Wyatt Brown.
For three seasons, he was Santa Monica’s star in the making. Then he transferred to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame for the spring semester seeking to challenge himself.
Through running the 400 meters and lifting weights, he’s improving his speed, strength and stamina. He has grown to 6 feet 4 and 200 pounds. His legs have been an important part of his game as well as his arm, and Notre Dame certainly knows how to take advantage of a double threat, having deployed the fastest quarterback in the state last season in Steele Pizzella, who is now at Wake Forest.
Brown is embracing track as a way to help his football future.
“It’s not the most fun thing in the world because I want to get out there and throw the football,” he said. “The advantages it brings to an athlete, I think every football player should do. Not only does it build physical toughness but mental toughness. Hopefully my times get better week by week.”
Brown isn’t as fast as Pizzella, but his size and strength should fit in well for a Knights team that returns one of the region’s top receivers in Luc Weaver. They used to be teammates as eighth-graders in youth football.
“He was my favorite receiver,” Brown said. “We had some good plays together. We aren’t starting from the ground up but starting from a good point already. I trust him. I think he’s the best receiver in L.A. and am excited about what we’re going to do.”
Brown, an A-student who’s knowledgeable about the game and the changes taking place around him and in college, recognizes there’s many tests ahead when you ask him about life being a quarterback, now and in the future.
“It’s crazy with all the stuff going on,” he said. “I’ve spent way too much time stressing about that stuff. What I come down to is simplifying for myself. Stay steady-headed, because at the end of the day, if I do what I need to do, things will work out.”
Getting to work this spring is the start for Brown facing much tougher competition in the Mission League, where Sierra Canyon and Gardena Serra have risen to the top.
“If there’s one guy up for it, it’s me and our team,” he said. “I’m very excited. Since I got to high school, I dig competition. That’s all I want. It’s not going to be easier, but that’s what makes you better, especially for the next level, Division I [college]. Everyone is going to be good, so why not start that now. I’m excited for competition. It brings us up to a higher level.”
There’s plenty of interesting quarterback competitions that will take place in the spring and summer. At Mater Dei, Ryan Hopkins, a transfer from JSerra, will compete with last season’s backup, Furian Inferrera. Sierra Canyon has competition to replace Utah-bound Wyatt Becker with the arrival of Santa Barbara transfer Laird Finkel. Gardena Serra also will have a new quarterback.
At Corona Centennial, Dominick Catalano has waited three seasons to finally become the starter at quarterback.
As for transferring, Brown said, “I’m a loyal guy. I was Santa Monica through and through. It’s not easy coming from a public school with 3,000 people to Notre Dame. I think it was a good move for me. There’s nothing but good people here. It’s just a start. More to come.”
In the City Section, change is happening in the Marine League, where there’s new coaches at Banning, Narbonne and Carson. Birmingham could become the City title favorite if it solves its passing issues from last season.
In a growing trend, lots of schools are holding showcases next month to attract college coaches and inviting opponents to play in seven-on-seven competitions while using free food as an incentive to get the college recruiters to show up, from barbecue to crawfish on the menu.
And, of course, there will be a lot more transfers when the spring semester ends.