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High school football: Quentin Cobb-Butler is Woodbury’s return ace, and so much more

jace frederick, pioneer press
·4 min read

Prior to the opening kickoff of the football season last week, Woodbury’s return men said that no matter who received the kick, that player was going to score.

The kick went to Quentin Cobb-Butler — Roseville’s first mistake.

“I saw the ball when it was going up that it was coming to me,” Cobb-Butler said. “I took a couple of steps to the left, and then our blockers in front made a couple of good blocks and a hole opened up.”

And he slashed through it, going 95 yards for a season-opening touchdown.

And later in the quarter, he did it again, this time from 90 yards out.

“They kicked it in the same exact spot and the same stuff happened,” the Royals senior said. “Good blocks from the guys up front and then returned another one.”

Yes, twice in the opening quarter of the season, Cobb-Butler took kick returns to the house. To many, that would seem unlikely. To Cobb-Butler, it’s the expectation.

He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns last fall, and matched that total already in Week 1 this fall.

“My goal is if I get the ball when I’m returning a kick, that it should be returned for a touchdown with the guys who are blocking for me,” Cobb-Butler said.

“So do we,” Woodbury coach Andy Hill said.

Woodbury has supreme confidence in its return blocking schemes and execution. It also thoroughly believes in Cobb-Butler, who has shown his big-play capabilities on countless occasions, such as last year against Burnsville, when Cobb-Butler returned both a kickoff and an interception for touchdowns.

Sure, speed contributes to that. But, specifically for kickoffs, the senior simply has a knack for the return.

“I think he feels the hole. He feels when it’s about to pop. You’ve got like a half-second, because it’s going to open and close. We’re not going to decleat everybody on the kickoff team,” Hill said. “So he’s got to have that feel and be in the right spots, so when it does open to where he thinks it does, he can hit it.”

Cobb-Butler noted teams started to kick away from him toward the end of last season. He anticipates the same tactics playing out this fall. That’s fine with him. He and the Royals have full confidence in anyone who touches the ball on a kickoff delivering a strong return.

Plus, there really is no way to entirely remove him from a game. He simply does too much. Cobb-Butler punts, he’ll kick in Thursday’s home game against Stillwater, and he has been a key fixture in Woodbury’s defensive backfield since his sophomore season.

The offensive role has only grown since then. Cobb-Butler’s third touchdown of the first quarter last week was a 16-yard receiving catch. He finished the night with three grabs for 56 yards and that score.

Woodbury trusts its quarterback George Bjellos to make the proper reads within the construct of its offense. Cobb-Butler is one of three significant receiving weapons, alongside Liam Frommelt and Charlie Jacobson.

Those three form a dynamic trio to which Bjellos can spread the ball. Hill said Cobb-Butler improved greatly as a wideout over the offseason with his route running and general understanding of the position.

“You’ve got a kid who plays in seventh and eighth grade who’s just faster than everybody else on the field. So it doesn’t matter what route he runs, he’s going to get past the other guys. When you start playing at a higher level, playing 6A opponents, he’s going to draw probably the defender matchup each week, so you’ve got to be precise in what you’re doing,” Hill said. “Working on some of the little things as far as how to set up your routes, how to sell your routes and how to get out of his break without slowing down. All those things have helped him become a better receiver.”

And Cobb-Butler’s explosiveness makes Woodbury a much better team. Which, in the end, is all that truly matters to the team captain.

“For the team, I want to win a state championship and just win a lot,” he said. “That’s my individual goal, too. Just to win and win a state championship with (my teammates).”

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