QB Homad growing into role with Seahawks

By SAM McDOWELL
smcdowell@islandpacket.com
843-706-8123

Published Thursday, November 5, 2009

Comments (0) |

Feeds |

As his teammates headed to the locker room at the conclusion of an afternoon practice, quarterback Jeff Homad picked up a football lying on the practice field at Hilton Head High and twirled it in the air a few times.

His day wasn't quite done yet.

A few of his offensive weapons, including leading receivers Victor Frazier and Clifford Morrow, stuck around to work on various pass-and-catch patterns. The scene resembled a backyard football game with the duo, along with fellow receiver Quintin Smalls, rotating between offense and defense and Homad serving as the all-time quarterback.

But there's more purpose to it than any backyard game has to offer. Homad was working on establishing timing with the Seahawks' best offensive options as he prepared for what at that time was the biggest game of his high school career -- the regular-season finale against rival Bluffton High School.

"They never did this at the beginning of the season," coach Tim Singleton said. "Never used to ..."

The Seahawks coach stopped mid-sentence after observing back-to-back failed slant routes. He barked out instructions to Homad regarding the senior's footwork and release point.

"Yes, sir," Homad replied.

"You see that? He's listening now," Singleton remarked.

Homad's maturation over the course of the season is apparent on the practice field. It's evident in the numbers. And, with his skill set, it shouldn't be all that surprising -- Singleton says his arm is built for the college game.

But Homad's story deals with his life at practice, his reactions to failure and his new perspective as he leads his high school football team into Friday night's playoff opener at home against Socastee.

"Not to be cocky, but I know I've always had the arm," Homad said. "It's been about my mind-set and my relationship with my coach."

The latter got off to a rocky start.

As the backup quarterback behind Dominque Driessen for two years, Homad assumed the job was his to lose after Driessen's departure in 2009. That attitude didn't sit well with Singleton, who believes players thrive with competition.

The coach made sure Homad got a big dose of it -- maybe more than he bargained for -- with newcomer Jon Bever and sophomore Desmond Bush. The three quarterbacks rotated at the position throughout the preseason and even in the regular-season opener at Beaufort High.

The situation frustrated Homad, who started each of the first three games but completed just 12 passes and failed to establish any offensive rhythm.

"I think he was overconfident," said Singleton, a former quarterback at Hilton Head High. "...(Mind-set) is huge for a quarterback, especially when you have to know all the plays and the situations.

"And when you have to deal with a guy like me."

Homad initially struggled with the relationship and wasn't often receptive to constructive criticism over the first three weeks. After each of those games resulted in losses, Homad was forced to give way to a fellow senior, Bever.

The benching could have easily sent Homad's season spiraling downward. The starting position he coveted for three years was now in the hands of a teammate.

"I couldn't believe this was happening," Homad said. "Senior year. ... This wasn't how it was supposed to go."

For each of the next three games, Homad waited -- sometimes patiently and other times more anxiously -- for his shot at redemption.

"He was in my ear every week, 'Coach, I can do that. Coach, I can go run that play,' " Singleton said.

Eventually, the second chance came. The Seahawks dropped to 2-4 on the season after a blowout loss to North Charleston to open the Region 8-AAA season, a game that was Bever's last as a member of the team. Singleton gave Homad the nod for the following week.

Homad was determined the way he started the season wouldn't be the way he finished it. In each of his four games since returning, he's thrown at least two touchdowns compared to no interceptions while averaging 180 yards per start.

Most importantly, he's taken the reins of a Hilton Head High offense that has scored at least 27 points in each of those four games -- all wins.

"Jeff is the epitome of that type of success," Singleton said. "He's taken the ridicule and he's taken the information and turned it around to be a very good quarterback for us."

The dramatic change has helped elevate the rest of the Seahawks offense as well. Morrow and Frazier have each seen a spike in their receiving numbers. Frazier broke the team's receiving record last Friday in a win against Bluffton, a night in which Homad set a career high with 269 yards and four touchdowns.

"Everything's been clicking," Frazier said after the win. "With Jeff back there, we're on the same page. We feel comfortable with him. We're starting to fit the mold of a very good offense."

But Homad's eagerness to learn hasn't wavered -- a lesson he learned the hard way.

In preparing for his first career playoff start, Homad asked his coach during practice this week about tweaks to the previous few offensive plays. Though he fully expected an earful for the mistakes he had just made, Homad was more concerned with the long-term rewards of the conversation.

"That's the type of stuff I wish I would have learned to do a lot earlier because it would have benefited me a lot more," Homad said. "Because that's been the biggest difference."

THE JEFF HOMAD FILE

First three starts

Last four starts

Completion percentage

38.7 (12-31)

51.4 (37-72)

Yards

241

714

Touchdowns

Passer Efficiency

125.30