By Thomas Grant Jr.
Some of the best quarterback play in South Carolina right now may reside at Chapin High School.
Junior Brady Albro has put up video game-like numbers the past two games. In blowout wins over Mid-Carolina and Spring Valley, he’s completed 31-40 passes for 478 yards and nine touchdowns.
Albro also rushed for a touchdown in the 38-7 win over the Vikings, giving him 10 touchdowns over the past two games. Those numbers have helped him rank among the top quarterbacks in the state as well and sparked the Eagles’ turnaround following a 48-3 season-opening home loss to Irmo.
“I think the guys’ response to the Week (0) loss,” Albro said. “Offensive line has played a tremendous pass-blocking game and receivers making plays.”
“Irmo’s pretty dang good on both sides of the ball, every facet of the game,” Chapin head coach Justin Gentry said. “We’ve had a lot more time the last two weeks. The offensive line has kind of gelled a little better, just giving us a little more time, and receivers have been there. It’s amazing when you’ve got a little bit of time what you can do back there from a quarterback/offensive play.
“It’s one of those things. We had a quick focus check going into Week 2 with the program and our guys have responded.”
That was an emotional week for the Eagles as they mourned the loss of teammate offensive lineman Fabian Douglas “Trey” Ruff III. The 17-year-old passed away at his Little Mountain home and his death is still under investigation by the Newberry County Coroner’s Office, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office and SLED Child Fatality Unit.
A day after a special memorial service at Cecil Woolbright Field, the Eagles returned to action to face Mid-Carolina in the “Battle of the Bell”. An inspired Albro came out to throw five touchdown passes on 12-13 attempts in the 63-0 victory.
“We had some things happen to the program,” Albro said. “I think everybody came together a little bit stronger and we were ready to bounce back in that Mid-Carolina game after a lot of mistakes in Week 0.”
The consistent play continued last week against Spring Valley. Albro threw four touchdowns to four different players and rushed for a score against the Vikings.
Both Albro and Gentry cited the blossoming of the young wide receiving corps. Weldon Gunter, Jacob Narone, Maddox Floyd, Anthony Turnbow, and Isaiah Green (who replaced injured starter Jonathan Sheppard) and Kalen Bostick have finally turned the corner in becoming more run-after-catch receivers as compared to possession receivers.
Their improved play, along with Albro quickening his release and improving his passing touch downfield, according to Gentry. As the season progresses, expect Albro to make calls from the field as one of the smartest players Gentry has coached at the position.
Chapin travels this Friday to Newberry, followed by a home game Sept. 15 against Brookland-Cayce to close out the non-region schedule. The Eagles hope to improve their running game before region play to provide an even more balanced offense.
“We’ve got Newberry this week,” Albro said. “Want to get a dominant win there on the road. Set the tone going into the toughest stretch of our schedule here. We’ve got to get ready for region. We’ve got tough region play.”
(Photo by Chapinathletics.com) Chapin quarterback Brady Albro
