MACON — It didn’t take long for Michael Dawkins and Bryan Ricks to know they had found their quarterback.
Last spring, the Central Academy football coaches-to-be wanted to see what they were going to have for their first season leading the program, so they assembled the players and tested them at various positions.
Little did they know a former offensive lineman who last played football in eighth grade would emerge as the team’s quarterback.
But it was impossible for Dawkins and Ricks not to see the potential Jerry Long had to play the position.
“Bryan and I knew he was going to take it over and we tried him there and he had it,” Dawkins said.
In a season filled with ups and downs, Long saved his best performance for the final game of the season The 6-foot, 182-pound junior threw for 196 yards and rushed for 61 more and four touchdowns Friday night to lead Central Academy to a 50-30 victory against Strider Academy.
For his accomplishments, Long is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.
“It was definitely my best game,” said Long, a former offensive guard, who scored his first touchdowns of the season. “It felt pretty good. I have never felt anything like that.”
Dawkins said it wasn’t surprising that Long took to the position so quickly because he has good size, a strong arm, and he moves well. In fact, Dawkins said Long earned the nickname “Tebow” for his combination of size and athletic ability a la the former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won a Heisman Trophy. Dawkins said Long is built like Tebow, but he had a lot to learn about playing the position early in the season. He said Long’s mobility and maturity helped him make the progression and help the team overcome injuries and limited numbers that ultimately forced the team to forfeit a game against Calhoun Academy.
Still, Dawkins said Long persevered and relied on the help of classmates William and Preston Dawkins and Jack Vandevender to keep the Vikings focused on the next practice or the next game.
Individually, coach Dawkins said Long was a “sponge” and that he listened and worked hard to improve every week. He said it was gratifying to see Long have a game in which everything came together.
Long said his work ethic and his desire to improve helped him grow more comfortable at quarterback. He admitted to being nervous at the beginning, but he said he gained confidence with each snap he took.
“He went from someone who was playing quarterback to somebody who is a great quarterback and who was a quarterback at the end of the season,” Dawkins said. “He learned how to adjust during the course of the season. He knew when to throw and when to scramble.
“The last game was just unreal. He grew up before our eyes in that last game.”
Dawkins hopes the growth continues in the offseason. He feels Long has plenty of room to grow, and that he would be surprised if Long isn’t 6-3 by next season. He is confident Long will be able to throw more passes like the 37-yard “pinpoint” throw he made to Dylan Manning near the sideline. Dawkins said the ball was thrown to a spot that only Manning was able to catch it. For a quarterback who was in his first year at the position, Dawkins said the accuracy of the throw was uncanny.
“He didn’t force it,” Dawkins said of Long’s effort against Strider Academy. “He knew when to run and when to pass.”
Dawkins said Long learned how to move his feet and to get his body in better throwing position to make confident throws. He said Long’s willingness to be coached made it easier for him to make such significant strides in his first season.
“I just tried to do everything I could to help us out because we lost some key players,” Long said referring to the injuries to Nelson Robbins and Jacob Sellers. “I thought I had to step it up a lot more and make better decisions when I was passing the ball or tucking it and run.
“The last game I figured out when to tuck it and run and figured it out real good.”
Next season, Dawkins feels Long will be able to lead a team that figures to have six starters back and will be primed to improve on a 3-6 finish in 2015.
“He is a natural,” Dawkins said. “Not only does he listen to what you say, he has started to read a defense, which is very dangerous for a defense. If he grows a little bit more and he works out over the summer and comes back bigger and stronger with his experience next year I see him going to the next level.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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