After record-setting game, QB will face stiff test
Jacob Porteous is an oldschool kid. Speaks slowly. Clearly. Respectfully. Not much into gadgets.
“I’m not a technology guy,” he concedes.
So when word spread fast around the Redwood Empire that the senior quarterback at Casa Grande-Petaluma had broken a North Coast Section and Bay Area passing record last week, it caught him offguard.
The 6-foot-4, 175-pounder completed 29 of 52 passes for 647 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-35 win at Maria Carrillo-Santa Rosa, breaking the NCS mark of 614 yards set by Noah Davis of St. Bernard’sEureka in 2014 and the Bay Area record of 582 by FoothillPleasanton’s Sean Mannion in 2009. Casa Grande (1-0) now braces for a Friday night home game against No. 8 Marin Catholic-Kentfield (2-0).
“I’ve never really been in the spotlight,” Porteous said. “I’m just one of the guys.”
When friends and coaches alerted him that his name was now at the top of record books in a region that has produced quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Dan Fouts, Jim Plunkett, Norm Van Brocklin and Jared Goff, Porteous tried to blow it off. Teammates would have none of it.
“They’d say, ‘When is your movie coming out?’ ” Porteous said with a laugh. “It was definitely all pretty weird.”
Porteous, who knows what
to do on the field, knew what to do off of it after the win. He took his offensive line to Wendy’s this week. Spent in the “$40ish” range. “It was worth it,” he said.
What did he do for his receivers — Marcus Scott (11 catches, 191 yards), Shane Runyeon (7, 204) and Caden Cramer (7, 179) — each of whom hauled in two TD passes?
“Nothing yet,” he said. “I’ll figure that out.”
Casa Grande coach John Antonio is quite sure he will. He has known Porteous since youth flag-football days and calls him a quiet, but natural and impactful leader. “He is emotional on the field, but off of it, you would really never hear anything from him,” Antonio said. “He holds everyone to a high standard, including the coaches. He makes everyone around him better.
“Jacob has always been super competitive and had a drive to be great.”
Much of that was derived from his late grandfather, Tom Bayless, who expressed his passion for the 49ers and watching games at Candlestick Park. It’s where Porteous connected with football and his appreciation for quarterbacks like Kenny Stabler, Johnny Unitas and Van Brocklin.
Porteous was a tight end and
defensive end in the Petaluma youth tackle leagues, but transitioned to quarterback. At that position, he has tried to mirror players like Brady and Peyton Manning.
All would appreciate Porteous’
humble nature. He credits family and former coaches, including those at St. VincentPetaluma where he attended two years before transferring to Casa Grande, for mentoring him as a person and player.
Of his record performance, he first credited teammates and offensive coordinator Kevin Keenan for devising the game plan. “We spread the ball around, short, intermediate and deep, and we’re hitting on all cylinders,” Porteous said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Said Antonio: “I was not surprised what Jacob did Friday. (Keenan) told him before the season that he would break records.”
Those numbers likely won’t be approached against Marin Catholic, which opened the season with back-to-back shutouts, 6-0 over No. 16 El Cerrito and 62-0 over Concord.
The Wildcats have been led defensively by linemen Charles McBride and Trent Carrade and backs Charlie Allen and Charlie Knapp. Quarterback Michael Ingrassia, a Division I prospect, leads the Marin Catholic offense.
“Man, that kid (Porteous) makes a ton of big plays and throws,” Marin Catholic coach Mazi Moayed said. “You can see they all rally around him.”
They’ll need to again Friday, which is likely the Gauchos’ biggest challenge of the season.
“They’re big and fast and strong and good,” Porteous said of Marin Catholic. “They’ve always been good. But we have a really good team, also. We’ve prepared well, we’ll play hard and hopefully come out victorious.”