Air Force commit Ealy scores 5 TDs

“We line him up in so many different spots, it’s kind of tough to man him up, to play zone over the top of him. So you pretty much also have to go man [coverage] over, which again, is tough for teams to do because it makes the rest of your secondary weak, your runfits don’t line up and it makes it tough.”

Quitman Coach DJ Marrs on wide receiver Greyson Ealy

It took all of one post route to see Greyson Ealy belonged on a football field.

In last Friday’s game versus Melbourne, Ealy had his best game yet as a football player. He caught 9 passes for 277 yards and 5 touchdowns on offense, had over 100 return yards, not including the kickoff return touchdown that was called back on a penalty, intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble — all in a 55-20 win over Melbourne to secure his team a spot in the playoffs.

“That’s probably one of the better [games] I’ve ever seen,” Quitman Coach DJ Marrs said. “It was all three phases of the game. He was pretty dominant.”

Marrs convinced the rising sophomore to take turn running routes instead of dunking basketballs, and three years later, he’s setting records and headed to college to play wide receiver.

In that game, the senior set the school record for receiving touchdowns in a game (5), single-season receiving touchdowns (11) and single-season receiving yards (1,080).

Ealy has excelled in nearly every sport he’s tried thus far. In baseball and track, he’s gained Division II interest. Marrs pried Ealy from his main sport at the time, basketball, after seeing him dunk in an open gym.

On July 5, Ealy received an offer to play football for the Air Force Academy. Just over three weeks later, on July 29, he committed to play for the Falcons next season.

“It was a sport he didn’t play, to probably the sport he loves the most, now,” Marrs said.

This season, Ealy has 49 receptions for 1,030 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games.

As a junior, Ealy had 491 yards and eight touchdowns as he dealt with injuries. As a sophomore, he had 800 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Ealy has drawn multiple defenders in more of his games this season. In games that teams run the risk of single coverage, he’s made them pay. Ealy has four games of 130 receiving yards or more and two games of more than 200.

In the games that teams put their focus toward him, his teammates have taken advantage. Against Melbourne, everything was working for the Bulldogs (4-5, 2-3 3A-2). Running back Eli Hartman rushed for 227 rushing and 2 touchdowns on 33 carries.

“Any time that’s happened, it’s opened up for some other players,” Marrs said. “We line him up in so many different spots, it’s kind of tough to man him up, to play zone over the top of him.

“So you pretty much also have to go man [coverage] over, which again, is tough for teams to do because it makes the rest of your secondary weak, your run-fits don’t line up and it makes it tough.”