Boone County quarterbacks to watch in the 2023 football season

The most important position in football will have some stability for the 2023 high school football season in Boone County.

Here's what to know about the quarterbacks in Boone County this high school football season.

Southern Boone - Austin Evans

The Eagles had a first-year head coach and a first-year starting quarterback, and Evans took over without missing a single step. Evans starred during his junior season, helping receiver Chase Morris emerge as one of the best athletes in the state.

Evans tossed 28 touchdowns against just nine interceptions and recorded 2,244 passing yards with a 59.5 percent completion percentage. Southern Boone's second year in the Mark Ross era will feature a seasoned Evans at the helm, which could turn in one of the most productive quarterback seasons in Boone County.

Hallsville - Brayden Matheney and Colton Nichols

Coach Justin Conyers said before the 2022 season he wanted to pick one quarterback from its position battle and stick with him, but Hallsville ran its way to a district title game last season behind its two quarterbacks anyway.

Nichols is a dual-threat-style quarterback. He rushed for 1,170 yards and 18 touchdowns while passing for 648 yards and seven touchdowns with eight interceptions. Matheney took over when Nichols suffered an injury and threw for 550 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in four games, three of which were starts. This included a district playoff win over Centralia. Nichols has moved around the field during practices, meaning Matheney could be in line to direct the offense this fall.

Centralia - Cullen Bennett

The Panthers' rugged running game continued in 2022 with Kyden Wilkerson in the backfield. In Bennett, Centralia had a 6-foot-2 passer who made the plays that pushed the team to a 7-3 record. With Wilkerson's graduation, Bennett could be depended on much more in 2023.

In 2022, Bennett threw for 1,045 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. His best game as a passer came against Highland, where he threw four touchdowns on a 71.4 percent completion percentage and 194 yards. What helps Bennett is his running ability, as he rushed for 384 yards and two rushing touchdowns across the season.

Harrisburg - Trace Combs

In the 2022 season, the Bulldogs were looking for their next starting quarterback after Tanner Lanes' graduation. Luckily for Harrisburg, its next starting quarterback emerged quickly.

Trace Combs didn't start the season opener, but he was one of three different players who threw a pass for Harrisburg in the first two games of the season. In week 3, he took over the starting job and never gave it up. He threw for 1,550 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore. Cutting down his interceptions (13) will come with time and experience.

Father Tolton - Jake Ryan

Father Tolton's turnaround from one win in 2020 to seven in 2022 was thanks to Michael Egnew, and in 2022 Egnew found his quarterback. Ryan excelled as a junior, setting himself up for an exciting senior season.

Ryan, who was a few months removed from a baseball state title in May 2022, transitioned to the gridiron. He threw for 26 passing touchdowns and over 2,000 passing yards with a 67 percent completion percentage. Ryan only threw three interceptions and had a six-touchdown pass game. He's set for his senior season, where he can improve himself as well as Tolton's status as a rising program.

Battle - Alex Hernandez

The Spartans had multiple years of Justin Goosby as the team's starting quarterback. Goolsby led Battle to a district title in 2020, leaving production and leadership to replace. Now, Battle is moving on with an athlete at quarterback.

Coach Jonah Dubinski said Alex Fernandez will be Battle's next starting quarterback Fernandez transitioned to quarterback from tight end and brings size to the position as 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds. The Spartans have talented runners in the backfield, and now Fernandez is tasked with leading Battle through the air.

Rock Bridge - Sam Kaiser

The Bruins return Sam Kaiser, the top-ranked quarterback recruit in the state of Missouri for the class of 2024. He brought star power to the county as Drew Lock's cousin but made a name for himself piloting Rock Bridge's turnaround in Matt Perkins' first season.

In his first season as the starting quarterback, he threw for 1,619 yards, 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions while completing 59 percent of his passes. Kaiser spent the summer improving his speed to go along with the arm strength he has.

Hickman - Carter Holliday

It was a bumpy sophomore season for Hickman's first-year quarterback, but there were flashes of brilliance to go along with any inconsistencies.

Holliday threw for 1,006 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in seven games. That's just as a passer, too. Holliday ran for three touchdowns to establish himself as a dual threat in a Kewpies' offense that utilizes an option-style running game that compliments Holliday's running abilities. If Holliday takes the next step as a passer, he can lift the Kewpies' offense to another level.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Boone County quarterbacks to watch in the 2023 football season