Royals quarterback fills the shoes left from last year

• 656 yards passing and 728 yards rushing
• TF midseason co-MVP and Biggest Surprise Player
• 238 yards on just 12 carries as a sophomore
• 29 carries in win over Bishop Ready

HOLMES TOWNSHIP — The 2014 Wynford Royals finished the season with an 11-2 record and an undefeated 8-0 Northern 10 Conference mark. They said goodbye to 11 seniors, most of whom were key components in the stellar year.

One of those being Keaton Teynor, the Royals stud 1,256 yard passing, 1,208 yard rushing quarterback. Anytime a team loses a quarterback like that, it takes a few years for it to find one just as special. The Royals had one waiting.

Junior workhorse Zach Hoffman has led his Wynford Royals to a 5-1 mark after the first six weeks of the high school football season, and a perfect 4-0 mark in the N10. Most recently, he was named the TF midseason co-MVP and Biggest Surprise Player. Pretty impressive for a kid who took his first full-time varsity snaps at quarterback this season.

“I knew he prepared himself really well in the off season and he has always been a guy who wanted to be our quarterback and our leader and he prepared himself for it,” Head coach Gabe Helbert said. “We expected him to have success and we knew he had big shoes to fill with Keaton (Teynor) leaving after last year.”

And, fill those shoes he shall. Hoffman has already gathered 656 yards passing and 728 yards rushing. Helbert saw the potential early in Hoffman and admits that he has met and in some aspects, excelled his expectations.

“He had great seasons as a freshman on JV and again as a sophomore in the varsity situations we put him in,” Helbert added. “Any time he was put into varsity duty he was up to the challenge and performed very well. I do not know what we expected but we did think he would be able to fill in and be competent in that role.”

The mission of becoming the next starting quarterback for the Wynford Royals started in the off season after the Royals' deep playoff run last year. The weight room became Hoffman’s home away from home.

“I was just planning to get better in the off season and work as hard as I could,” Hoffman said. “I did not care about my stats as long as I can in some way help this team win football games. Whatever they need from me is what I am willing to do.

“The coaches really push us and encourage us to get better every day. They are the ones that preach about the weight room and how important it is, and I want to be the quarterback for this team so I have to do what it takes,” Hoffman said.

Helbert noticed it as well and even noticed the mental preparation Hoffman was taking upon himself to take the starting job. But, it was not on the football field where Helbert noticed Hoffman had the brains and the grit to be the go-to guy to run the offense. That came on the basketball court.

“He has really hit the weight room in the off season and then transferred to the film room,” Helbert added. “He asked all of the right questions and really learned. The mental preparation it takes to be a starting quarterback does not rattle him and he proved that when he was the starting point guard as a sophomore for our basketball team.”

Hoffman showed glimpses of greatness last year as a sophomore. He ran for 238 yards on just 12 carries. He found the endzone twice. He even caught the eye of his starting quarterback, Teynor.

“I have been to every game but one so I have seen him play a lot this year. I knew last year in practice and when he came into games that he would thrive as the starter,” Teynor said. “I expected the offense to pick up right where it left off last year with him in command. I think the Royals can go as far Zach Hoffman takes them, he is great kid.”

Hoffman admits he took special lessons away from his quarterback a year ago.

“He taught me to be calm. Mistakes are going to happen no matter what so just remain calm and do not get down on yourself,” Hoffman said. “He was such a great leader and I was lucky to learn from him last year.”

The TF Biggest Surprise Player of the first half of the 2015 season did not come as a big surprise to his coaches. But, Helbert cannot help but to be pleasantly surprised at Hoffman’s durability. Hoffman proved his strength by running the football 29 times in a win against a very physical Bishop Ready football team.

“I was not sure how many times we could have him carry the football,” Helbert added. “He is a slighter built kid, but he is very strong. He is a kid who is as strong pound for pound as any kid in our program just from a weight lifting stand point. He had 29 carries on Friday and I do not know that we really planned on that but that is how the game played out. He rose to the challenge and helped this team win.”

Hoffman is even surprised at the number of times Helbert calls his number, but does not have a problem doing what is asked of him for his team to succeed.

“I expected to carry the football but did not expect that many carries,” Hoffman said. “Whatever they ask me to do I will do it. I love this team and they mean a lot to me.”

One thing is certain, whatever the Royals need out of Zach Hoffman, Zach Hoffman is willing to give to the Royals.

jfurr@gannett.com

419-610-5034

Twitter: @JakeFurr11