Quiet Phelps earns award
Averill Park football coach Zach Gobel insists the only time he has ever heard junior running back Jacob Phelps raise his voice are on the few occasions when he lines up in the Wildcat formation calling out signals to his teammates.
“I am a pretty quiet guy,” Phelps said.
Phelps’ play on the field Friday night sure came through loud and clear as he rushed for two touchdowns, caught two touchdown passes and made an interception on defense as Averill Park defeated La Salle 27-17 in Class A Capital Division play to secure the No. 1 seed from the division for the third straight year.
“Jacob is a special player,” Gobel said. “The thing that is the most fun about Jacob is he will do whatever it takes for us to win. He certainly touched the ball and made big plays to score four touchdowns, but he is one of best blockers and an outstanding lead blocker in some of our sets. As a free safety for us,
where he plays most of the time, he is in on a lot of tackles. His kick returns are pretty fun to watch, as well.”
For his efforts, Phelps has been selected as the Times Union’s Boys’ Athlete of the Week for Oct. 9-15.
Phelps scored twice in the first quarter, first on a 1-yard touchdown run and later on a 70-yard pass from quarterback Justin Matthews. He contributed another touchdown catch covering 22 yards in the second quarter and added a 23-yard TD run in the fourth. The junior only caught two passes and both reached the end zone.
“On one pass play, it was a really good throw by Justin. I had no one in front of me. I just had to outrun one guy,” Phelps said. “On the second one, I caught it and had to make a few people miss to get to the end zone.”
Gobel said he expected a great deal from Phelps this season and the junior has delivered on all fronts for Averill Park (5-2 overall, 4-0 Capital Division). He noted Phelps’ dedication to his work in the weight room has made him stronger and faster.
“This is a pretty good season so far. We are going to look to keep going forward,” Phelps said.
Averill Park concludes its Capital Division schedule Friday at home against Troy (0-6, 0-4) and will then host South Glens Falls (3-3, 2-2 Grasso Division) in quarterfinal play Oct. 27.