Matthew Papas flourishing at quarterback in fast-paced Grove City offense
Like many teenagers, junior Matthew Papas loves playing the John Madden video game that allows participants to test their football skills.
But unlike most online players, Papas also puts those same skills on display on Friday nights as the starting quarterback for Grove City.
Papas put up video game numbers through the season’s midway point while leading the Dawgs to their best start since 2002, when they went on to finish 8-2. They are 4-2 overall and 0-1 in the OCC-Ohio Division as they prepare to play host to Westerville Central on Sept. 30.
Looking to rebound from a 45-21 loss at New Albany on Sept. 23, Grove City is seeking its first winning season since going 6-4 in 2013.
“He’s like playing PlayStation Madden out there against the defense, which is really cool,” first-year coach Greg Waits said of Papas. “He’s elusive. He can scramble. He can throw on the run. He can sit in the pocket. We can spring him out. There’s nothing that this kid cannot do.”
Papas has completed 128 of 237 passes for 1,800 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions and is second on the team in rushing with 285 yards and three scores on 54 carries.
He was 27-for-44 passing for 478 yards and four touchdowns and added 86 yards rushing and two scores in a 48-35 win over Marysville on Sept. 16. The 564 combined yards set a single-game program record, according to Waits.
“Matthew’s the hardest worker on our team,” Waits said. “During the offensive part of practice, it’s non-stop — an hour and 20 minutes of offense every day. When defense goes for the next hour, he’s practicing with me the whole time doing footwork stuff, technique stuff, doing ball-handling stuff.
“He never takes a break. He gets a break the last five minutes of practice when they ice him up. He comes to work every day and he loves it. He never complains. … Tempo is our friend and our kids know it.”
When Waits took over the program, he vowed to install an up-tempo, spread offense, and Papas quickly adapted to the new approach.
“I was happy for sure,” Papas said. “I couldn’t wait to get to work and for the season to start. Coach Waits has done a great job getting us conditioned and ready for Fridays.”
In putting up his impressive numbers, Papas and Waits credit contributions from the other skill-position players, along with a talented offensive line and defense.
J.J. King is the top receiver with 36 catches for 597 yards and seven touchdowns, while Jaeson Thrweatt leads in rushing with 464 yards and four touchdowns on 66 carries.
“The offensive line is playing great,” Papas said. “The receivers are playing great. The defense is playing great. Everyone is playing well together.”
The Dawgs were first in the Division I, Region 3 computer ratings with 11.25 points entering Week 6, ahead of Gahanna (10.35), Thomas Worthington (9.6475) and New Albany (9.1919). Grove City also received 12 points in the Division I state poll released Sept. 19.
“That’s cool and everybody in the community thinks it’s cool, but it doesn’t mean anything right now,” Waits said of the strong start. “We have to keep winning because our goal is to win this league. We want to be one of the top seeds in the tournament and get rolling in the playoffs.”
Running a wing-T offense a season ago, Papas passed for 747 yards with one touchdown and one interception as Grove City finished 2-8. He was second-team all-league.
“The chemistry is different this year,” Papas said. “We really bonded this past offseason. We’ve been building that bond and working together.”
Papas, who is 6-foot and 170 pounds, is looking forward to playing in college.
“He’s going to get bigger and stronger,” Waits said. “During the offseason, he’ll put some more weight on. A lot of teams want him already. (Division I) Campbell University, (an FCS program) in North Carolina, has already offered him. Miami University is excited about him. Cincinnati has talked to me. A couple other MAC schools have talked to him. They like him.”
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@ThisWeekFrank
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Papas flourishing at quarterback in up-tempo Grove City offense
