High School football 2023: The top returning passers in Central Georgia

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By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

            A note to defensive backs and cover linebackers in Central Georgia: be prepared.

            Eight area quarterbacks who passed for at least 1,500 yards are back behind center this season, with three from Houston County and four from Bibb County.

            And there will be some showdowns, chances for area pass defenders to make a name for themselves against Housotn County’s A.J. Hill, Veterans’ Jake Maxwell, Southwest’s Chase Dupree, Westside’s James Neville, Judd Anderson of Jones County, and Kaleb Scarbary of ACE Charter.

            Stats are from MaxPreps, and are based on information provided by individual schools. Many schools don’t report stat information to MaxPreps, and many don’t regularly update those stats, or only update some stat categories..

            The first such meeting is pretty early, when Southwest faces Westside, pitting the No. 4 and No. 5 returning quarterbacks, Chase Dupree and James Neville.

            Southwest also faces ACE and Kaleb Scarbary late in the season.

            Houston County visits Warner Robins on Sept. 22, and hosts Veterans in the regular-season finale. The Demons also get Jones County in late October.

            The Bears’ Hill passed for 3,663 yards last year, as a second-year starter and sophomore amid a coaching transition, the 25th-best single-season mark in state history, as per the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. His total is 59 yards behind Stetson Bennett, 77 behind Macon County’s K’Hari Lane, and 247 behind Houston County’s Jake Fromm, all in 2016,

Top 10 passing (yards) returnees (with last year’s overall statewide MaxPreps ranking, completion percentage, rating. Maxpreps only lists the top 200 overall on offense and 150 on defense, but does filter by class)

4. AJ Hill, Houston County                      3,663, 70.5, 133

36. Jake Maxwell, Veterans                    2,428, 63.6, 102

40. Jakhari Williams, FPD                     2,384, 59.6, 97

54. Chase Dupree, Southwest                2,132, 56.5, 92

71. James Neville, Westside                   1,922, 48.3, 73

83. Judd Anderson, Jones County         1,776, 56.5, 77

111. Kaleb Scarbary, ACE                     1,573, 58.6,120

117. Chase Reese, Warner Robins        1,517, 57.1, 105

Ames Johnson, Gatewood                      786,42.7, 83

DJ Hudson, Northside                            732, 57.9, 85