Here’s a look at the top returning quarterbacks in the Triad
Summer workouts and 7 on 7s have wrapped up and the official start of football practice — and for all fall sports in North Carolina—begins August 1.
As many question marks as there are for numerous teams across the state at quarterback, there are also plenty of returning names that posted successful seasons a year ago and are poised to build their resumes even further in hopes of leading their teams to the ultimate prize.
The regular season will begin on August 19 and state champions will be crowned December 9-10.
Let’s take a closer look at several returning quarterbacks who should have major impacts this season in the Triad.
Jaylen Alexander-Raynor, East Forsyth
A three-year starter, Alexander-Raynor is a true dual-threat behind center and has plenty of weapons surrounding him for the Eagles offense, which appears to be loaded following a trip to the fourth round of the NCHSAA 4-A playoffs a season ago and a 11-2 record.
Alexander-Raynor, who has committed to Arkansas State, threw for 2,304 yards and 19 touchdowns against six interceptions while completing 61 percent of his passes. He also ran for 973 yards and 13 touchdowns for an offense that average 33 points a game in the always-tough Central Piedmont 4-A Conference.
Tanner Ballou, Northwest Guilford
Ballou threw for 2,150 yards and 24 touchdowns last season as a sophomore in leading the Vikings to five wins and a trip to the 4-A playoffs.
His top two receivers also return in Trenton Cloud and Bristol Carter, but Ballou will need to minimize his interceptions from a season ago (16).
Ballou averaged 195 passing yards per game and completed 52 percent of his throws and also had a rushing touchdown.
Northwest Guilford's Tanner Ballou threw for 24 touchdown passes in 2021 in leading his squad into the 4A state playoffs.
Photo Credit Tanner Ballou Twitter
Folger Boaz, East Surry
Boaz put up some gaudy numbers for the Cardinals, passing for 3,475 yards and 29 touchdowns and competed 70 percent of his passes while rushing for 960 yards and 23 touchdowns as the team finished 13-1 in its first season competing in the 2-A classification, losing to eventual state champion Shelby in the Western Regional final.
Boaz has already committed to play baseball at North Carolina but is also receiving Division I football recruiting interest.
Nathan Carr, Ledford
Carr also established himself as a dual-threat quarterback after throwing for 2,334 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing 62 percent of his passes and rushing for 721 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, averaging 254.6 total yards a game.
The Panthers finished 8-5 and advanced to the second round of the 3-A playoffs before losing to eventual state champion Dudley.
Connor Creech, Oak Grove
Creech threw for 1,496 yards and nine touchdowns and also ran for 10 scores during his sophomore campaign for the Grizzlies, who finished 7-3 after a first-round exit from the 2-A state playoffs.
Ian Gallimore, Mount Airy
Gallimore threw for 1,471 yards and 22 touchdowns against five interceptions as a sophomore while completing 68 percent of his passes in leading the Bears to a 13-1 record and a trip to the fourth round of the 1-A playoffs.
He also ran for 356 yards and nine touchdowns and averaged 22.6 yards per completion.
Gavin Hill, North Davidson
Hill threw for 2,118 yards and 17 touchdowns while completing 55 percent of his passes for the Black Knights, averaging 178.5 yards per game through the air as a junior.
He will need to cut down on the 14 interceptions he threw for North Davidson to improve on its 8-4 overall record from a season ago, which included a Mid-Piedmont 3-A Conference Championship and a trip to the third round of the state playoffs.
North Davidson's Gavin Hill led his squad to eight wins and the third round of the state playoffs last season.
Photo credit WNCT.com
Jack Mercer, Northern Guilford
Mercer had a banner year for the Nighthawks, who opened last season with nine straight wins before losing the regular season finale against Grimsley and the first round of the 4-A playoffs against Lake Norman and finishing 9-2.
Mercer threw for 1,987 yards and 32 touchdowns last season and completed 64 percent of his passes while also rushing for 518 yards and six touchdowns.
Mercer may need to find some new targets as Manny Elliott (12 receiving touchdowns) and Terrell Timmons (11 receiving touchdowns) both graduated, but Coach Erik Westberg seems to always have players who can step into new roles.
Semaj Reaves-Smith, Mount Tabor
Reaves-Smith emerged on the scene in the Central Piedmont 4-A last season in his first year as a starter with some impressive numbers for a young team that finished 4-5 overall.
Reaves-Smith finished with 1,767 passing yards and 16 touchdowns while completing nearly 60 percent of his passes, doing so without the services of one of his top receivers and 3-AA state championship game MVP Lance Patterson from the spring of 2021 season, who missed several games because of a shoulder injury.
The Spartans are a year older this season, as are their top two returning receivers, brothers Jamarien and Shamarius Peterkin.
