Neves takes slim lead in Downey QB competition

When Downey High School opens football camp next month, junior Brett Neves will hold a slim advantage in the months-long battle with senior Tyler Lehikainen for the starting quarterback job.

Neves shined at the Modesto Junior College Passing Tournament on Saturday, leading the Knights to their second consecutive title.

While he and Lehikainen shared snaps, coach Jeremy Plaa said Neves was Downey’s most consistent player, displaying the decision-making and poise he wants to see out of the Knights’ next signal caller.

“He took a huge step forward. He’ll be No. 1 on the depth chart on Aug. 10, but that can change daily,” said Plaa, who is looking to replace Modesto Metro Conference co-MVP P.J. Wilson. “Tyler did well, but they’re both still improving. Brett just had a really good day.”

Neves is a relative newcomer to the Downey system. He transferred from Modesto Christian after his freshman year and starred for the Knights’ junior varsity team last fall, throwing for 1,763 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also rushed for a team-best 11 scores as Downey went 10-0 and captured the MMC championship.

He’s continued that strong play this summer. On Saturday, Neves maximized his relationship with junior wide receiver Calvin Grover, a blossoming big-bodied talent. The two hooked up for a touchdown pass during Downey’s 20-12 victory over Los Banos in the final.

“The big thing for me isn’t so much the end result. It’s the initial read,” Plaa said. “And for us, when you play quarterback, it’s all about the process. You have to make a pre-snap read and then you post-snap one defender. That’s all you have to do to play quarterback well.

“This is only Brett’s second year in the program. Every tournament, I’m seeing him make big strides and making the right initial decision. If you can make the right initial decision, you’re going to be a pretty good quarterback.”

Tigers will spread out – For years, Los Banos ran a power-I offense that bludgeoned opponents with the likes of Casey Cotta, Darren Brown and James Sams, battering rams who produced 1,000-yard seasons in the run-heavy attack.

This fall, coach Dustin Caropreso is getting with the times, speeding up his offense to better utilize quarterback Adam Herrera and wide receiver David Walker.

The Tigers will deploy a spread offense that will put an emphasis on tempo and snaps per game. The lynchpin is Herrera, a smart and savvy senior.

Herrera rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and threw for more than 1,300 last season, while Walker was an all-Western Athletic Conference selection for the league-champion Tigers.

Los Banos went 4-1 at the MJC Passing Tournament.

“We wanted to come out here and see how we would compete,” Caropreso said. “It was a great day for Los Banos. We saw some good stuff. We saw some kids catch some balls. ... We weren’t sure they could compete.”

Building confidence – With Brad Bussard under center, Ceres threw for more than 4,300 yards the last two years. Certain factors would suggest a change in philosophy along Whitmore Avenue.

For starters, Bussard’s graduation in the spring casts doubt on the quarterback position. And then there’s running back Johnni Smith-Willis, who enjoyed a breakout season last fall. The incoming senior rushed for 825 yards and nine touchdowns, and averaged more than 6 yards per carry.

Could a shift toward a more run-based attack be in the cards for the ’Dogs? Not so fast.

Junior Chris Lubinsky was one of the more animated and effective quarterbacks at the MJC Passing Tournament, willing Ceres into the semifinal round. The Bulldogs were beaten by Los Banos 24-20 in a game that went down to the wire.

Downey’s young guns fare well – Downey was the only program to enter two teams.

A collection of freshmen and sophomores came together to form Downey B, and despite their youth, the underclassmen held their own against varsity competition.

Downey B went 0-4 but only by the slimmest of margins. Downey lost by a point each to Turlock and Beyer, which reached the semifinals; by two to Sierra, the defending Valley Oak League co-champion; and by six to Atwater.

Welcome Holmes – East Union defensive coordinator Jason Stock is excited by the arrival of defensive lineman Apollo Holmes, a transfer from James Logan in Union City.

Stock said Holmes tallied 13 sacks for the Colts, a North Coast Section Division I playoff team in 2014. He also wrestles.

Other notes – Atwater defensive backs coach Seneca Ybarra has been promoted to defensive coordinator. He takes over for Jordan Bell. … Some of the best hands at the MJC Passing Tournament belonged to cornerback/wide receiver Michael Qarqat of Beyer, Tim Brown of Sierra and cornerback Braxton Howze of Downey.

This story was originally published July 12, 2015 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Neves takes slim lead in Downey QB competition."