How typical is it to have two highly touted, pro-style quarterbacks essentially next door to each other in Houston County?

“I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of it,” said Von Lassiter, head coach for Houston County High School’s football team.

David Bruce, head coach and athletic director at Veterans High School, agrees.

“I think it is pretty rare down here. I can’t think of the last time we had two guys with their kind of potential as pocket passers. But you know the Fromm kid can run, too. I’ve watched some film on him and he’s pretty salty.”

The “Fromm kid” is Jake Fromm – sophomore quarterback for Houston County High and a highly recruited prospect. Bruce’s Veterans high school team has junior Logan Byrd, another rare athlete at quarterback.

Byrd is 6 feet three inches tall and between 225 and 240 pounds. The junior spent his summer on a tour of Division 1 prospects.

“It was definitely a trip,” said Byrd. “A lot of frequent flier miles I’d say. Stanford, Texas, Duke, UNC, Notre Dame.”

Fromm is 6 feet two inches tall and 200 pounds. He is one of only two sophomore quarterbacks in the nation with more than one Division 1 scholarship offer. Like Byrd, he rattles off a long list of Division 1 college programs he spent some time with over the summer, including Georgia, Auburn, and Florida.

But Byrd isn’t focused on college right now.

“I try to downplay it the best I can I don’t want to focus on anything I can’t control,” he said. “I just want to worry about what I can do, hit the weight room hard. Make sure my team does good.”
When Byrd and Fromm meet in their season opening game, it will be far from the first time. They go way back.

“We played baseball together, you know, since we were little kids,” said Fromm. He’s a great dude. He’s one of my good friends.”

The feeling is mutual for Byrd.

“Yeah, I’m good friends with Jake. So I don’t really have anything against him.”

Von Lassiter, Houston County’s head coach, says it isn’t just Jake Fromm’s size that poses a challenge to a defense.

“But he can run the ball as well. He will run it,” said Lassiter. “If you want to tag him with something, he’s more a pro style throwing quarterback. But he’s one that you dream about coaching.”

Veterans head coach David Bruce says Byrd, like Jake Fromm, has size, and the whole quarterback skill set, on his side.

“I haven’t seen a lot of kids around here who have the total arsenal of weapons he has. He has that ability to run the football. He’s faster than he looks like he is. He’s big and strong and physical,” said Bruce. “I don’t want to be the guy who has to tackle him when he has a full head of steam. I don’t think anyone else does for that matter.”

He says with both quarterbacks so evenly matched, the season opener may seem like déjà vu to both teams.

“You’re going to look at it and it’s going to look like a scrimmage. Both offenses are a lot alike.”

Fromm sees it differently.

“Logan’s Logan and I’m me.”

Football fans can see how the rivalry shakes out when Veterans High and Houston County High face off Aug. 28th Warner Robins.

Tags: sports, football, Houston County, Veterans High School