The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Perry’s Holbert adjusting to new team
Former Harvey quarterback will be a receiver for Pirates
To most, the first day of football practice Aug. 1 is the beginning of a new season.
To Devon Holbert, it is much more than that.
As Holbert took the field in the early hours of Aug. 1, it was a new school, a new team, new teammates and a new position.
A 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior, Holbert and his family moved from Harvey to Perry over the summer.
“It’s home. It will always be home,” said Holbert of Harvey. “It was hard. I think of those guys a lot. But it’s something that had to happen. I can’t control it.”
So whereas Holbert’s former Harvey teammates were gearing up for their first practice in nearby Painesville, Holbert was acquainting himself with new teammates and a new position. A three-year starter at quarterback and safety for the Red Raiders, Holbert is moving to wide receiver at Perry, though he will still roam the middle of the field as the Pirates’ free safety.
Holbert was a dynamic dualthreat quarterback at Harvey. He also intercepted eight passes his sophomore year.
At Perry, he will join an offensive skill set that also includes running back Jaylen Anderson and receivers Anthony Rosati, Matthew Sullivan and Deandre Malone.
The trigger man for Perry’s high-flying offense is quarterback Drew Schiano, who threw for 2,525 yards and 34 touchdowns last season.
“It’s a game-changer,” said Holbert of the talent around him. “Seeing how hard they work. It doesn’t come overnight. They really work for it, every day. Now it’s Aug. 1. You see all the hard work and when there’s 11 guys out there (on offense), that’s really cool to see.”
Actually, Holbert has a smidgen of experience with the group he is joining this year. Back in junior high, he was part of a team from the area — coached by Perry coach Matt Rosati — who played in a tournament in Sandusky. That group included Schiano, Anderson, Sullivan and Anthony Rosati.
Holbert said he “imagined” what it would be like to play with those guys again, but admitted, “I didn’t think it would ever happen.”
Until his family moved to Perry this summer.
“We’re working on it. We’re working on it,” Holbert
said of developing chemistry with the skill set around him. “Pretty much every day. So far it’s great.”
Matt Rosati said the game plan Perry devised against Harvey the past three years by and large dealt with knowing where Holbert was on the field. He also admired the skill Holbert showed on the basketball court.
He is relieved that he doesn’t have to do that anymore, since Holbert is on his team now.
“He is an unknown gem to so many,” Rosati said in praise of Holbert. “He is a remarkable athlete. To have
him with this group is going to be difficult to stop. I believe we have some weapons here. He fits in, no question about it.”
Holbert will face his former teammates on Sept. 27 when the Red Raiders come to Alumni Stadium for a CVC Chagrin game. However, that’s not the game he has circled on his calendar. The season-opener against Riverside — his debut with his new team, teammates and position – is the only thing on his radar right now.
“I can’t put it into words,” he said. “I’m overly excited. I cannot wait til Aug. 30. Cannot wait.”