Julius Davis might be the best-kept passing secret in the Chicago area.
Well, maybe not after the Harper quarterback dissected Hubbard’s pass defense in a 28-14 victory Thursday at Stagg Stadium that brought Harper (8-0, 5-0) the Public League Illini Southwest championship. Hubbard finished its regular season 7-1, 4-1.
Davis completed 12 of 17 for 241 yards and three touchdowns on dropback passes and sprintouts–and even when throwing back across his body.
“I’ve got to compliment my offensive line, because none of this would have happened without them,” said Davis, who has passed for more than 1,550 yards and 20 TDs. “I’ve also got some very good receivers.”
Harper’s line includes 6-foot-2-inch, 280-pound Alex Kindle, Darius Harrison (6-0, 290), Jason Perry (6-0, 290), Maurice Bynum (6-3, 290) and Kacey Ball (6-2, 285).
The 6-0, 175-pound Davis may lack the size college coaches covet, but the senior’s athleticism and quickness has nonetheless attracted interest from Michigan State, Western Michigan and Illinois State.
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He finished off Harper’s opening drive with a 48-yard scoring strike to Antoine “Jake” Reed.
On Harper’s second possession, Davis hit Reed on a 45-yard completion and then hooked up with Jamaal Blalock on a 27-yard touchdown pass.
“Our quarterback, Tim Greer, is also one of our best cornerbacks,” said Hubbard coach Elton Harris. “With his ankle injury, we could only play him one way. We had to put a freshman, No. 25 (Kelvin Hayden), into the secondary, and they went right after him.”
Eduardo Hicks (21 carries, 150 yards) was the star of Harper’s third possession, a 13-play, 79-yard drive culminating in Hicks’ 3-yard TD run.
Hubbard finally retaliated late in the second quarter when Charles Frazier scored on a 1-yard plunge.
That’s when Harris made a costly coaching mistake. With his Greyhounds facing a fourth-and-8 situation from their own 29 just 12 seconds before halftime, Harris called for a pass that fell incomplete. “I thought it was third down,” Harris said. “The refs were mixed up, and I heard one of them say `third down.’ “
Davis immediately hit Reed with a 29-yard TD pass, giving the Cardinals a 28-6 halftime lead.
Harper’s defense, led by sophomore linebacker Henry Brown (three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries) stopped Hubbard in the second half–except for one play.
That was Frazier’s hitch-and-go pattern that resulted in an 87-yard touchdown pass from Greer. Frazier wound up rushing for 105 yards on 20 carries and catching two passes for 101 yards.
Brown was having quite a day. The final sack–his 10th of the season–knocked the ball out of Greer’s hand and bounced right into his grasp.