QBC Week in Review 9/30: High School Spotlight
This week we spotlight five high school players across QB Country that have had strong seasons and turned in impressive outings last weekend.
Blake Noblin ’20 (Ocean Springs, MS)
Blake (6’4, 190) was nearly perfect in Ocean Springs’ 35-7 victory over Hancock, going 12/13 for 217 yards with two passing touchdowns and one rushing score. Blake was a preseason All-South Mississippi selection and has done it all for Ocean Springs, leading the team in passing, rushing and scoring. Check out Blake’s midseason highlights here.
Jimmy Holiday ’20 (Madison Central, MS)
Jimmy (6’0, 175) continues to roll, leading Madison Central to the state’s top ranking in the most recent Mississippi high school polls. Last week, he went 7/9 for 75 yards and one touchdown through the air and rushed for 90 yards and one touchdown on eleven carries. Two weeks prior, he went 9/13 for 167 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 255 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to lead Madison to a 34-21 win over #2 Pearl. Said Pearl head coach John Perry:
“He’s the best player in the state. Whenever they had to make a play he made it. It was exactly what I thought it would be. I was hoping we’d hang in there and tackle him a little better but he made a lot of great plays.”
Riley Leonard ’21 (Fairhope, AL)
Riley (6’4, 185) turned in perhaps his best performance of a strong season to date in Fairhope’s comeback win against Daphne last week. Riley rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more as the Pirates stormed back in the second half to win 38-35. He finished 21-of-28 passing for 255 yards and ran for 82 yards on 16 carries. For his efforts, Riley was named Mobile area Player of the Week by FOX 10.
Cole Putnam ’20 (FACS, TN)
It’s been a dominant fall for Cole (6’3, 205), who has done it through the air and on the ground for FACS. Last week against Millington, Cole ran for 245 yards on 13 carries while scoring four times. He also threw for 157 yards and another touchdown. A week prior, he accounted for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-28 victory against St. George’s. He’s been a consistent presence on the Memphis Daily Appeal’s weekly honor roll and voted the area’s Prime Time Performer of the Week once this season. He currently ranks among the top ten in multiple offensive categories in the Memphis area, including passing touchdowns and yards per carry.
Arch Manning ’23 (Newman, LA)
Last Friday, Arch (6’2, 175) led the Greenies to a 38-13 victory over Country Day at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium, throwing for 235 yards and two TDs on 21-for-29 passing. A week earlier against East Jefferson he was 18-26 for 230 yards and a career-best five TDs. Newman is now 4-0 with its freshman quarterback at the helm and Arch is turning heads with his poise and performance at such a young age.