These two QBs can make some noise this season
The football teams at Brentwood and Newfield got together for a controlled scrimmage in Selden. Two quarterbacks emerged as contenders for this season's Esiason Award, presented to Suffolk’s top quarterback.
A lot can happen in an eight-game season, but Newfield junior Connor Stebbins is a big, strong, athletic quarterback. If the Wolverines line anchored by senior Carlos Silvestre-Gomez can afford him some time, Newfield can be a playoff sleeper in Suffolk Division II.
Stebbins threw a few TD passes in the scrimmage, working mainly to senior tight end Stephen Carney. At 6-4, 220 pounds, Carney should be unstoppable. Stebbins has touch but can also zip his passes through tight windows.
Brentwood’s senior quarterback Julius Herrera might be the best kept secret in Suffolk Division I. Head coach Rich DeJesus said Herrera has valuable varsity experience under his belt and is playing with more confidence. His throws were spot on this day. He found a wide receiver in blanket coverage in the corner of the end zone for a 30-yard TD toss – the most impressive of the day.
The line returns seniors Steven Cuello and Jonathan Martinez as Brentwood works its way back toward the playoffs again this year.
“He’s going to make things happen this year and give us the chance to reach the playoffs in back-to-back years,” DeJesus said. “And we’re young so we’ll grow together as a team on both sides of the ball.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
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