The start of high school football is always an exciting time of the year. It is a time where there seems to be boundless hope and endless possibilities. Anything can, and often does, happen. That said however, as the season begins, some teams know that they have an opportunity to achieve something special. Something as grand as a State Championship is a real possibility with execution and hard work. Such is the situation at North Cobb High School this fall, and one of the largest reasons why is their quarterback, Arkansas commit, Malachi Singleton.
North Cobb scrimmaged the reigning 7A Georgia State Champions from Collins Hill, and promptly took the Eagles to the cleaners. Even in a scrimmage where many backups played significant time, the Warriors ended up 41-0. Their starters looked impressive, and their offense looked explosive. The offense ran so smoothly in large part thanks to the decision making of Singleton at the quarterback spot. Though he was playing at a disadvantage, as quarterbacks were prevented from running or being hit hard in the scrimmage and Singleton is exceptionally dangerous with his legs, he looked calm and in control.
The Warriors run an RPO heavy offense, and Singleton was definitive with his decisions on his reads. He did an excellent job of making sure the ball went where it needed to go, despite not having the option and real threat of keeping it himself as a runner. Instead he rode the mesh point longer to create options for his back when he needed to, or pulled the ball quickly to raise up and fire a quick pass to an open receiver. Singleton showed command of the offense and looked comfortable running it. Singleton was processing information quickly, making multiple decisions in a split second, and consistently making the right decisions. That kind of confidence and decision making is a huge boon for an offense.
Singleton did more than just make the right reads though. He delivered accurate passes to his receivers, allowing them to catch the ball and work in space. Singleton showed impressive accuracy on his short and medium throws, with good footwork, a quick release, and excellent anticipation and timing. The Warriors even drew up a shot play for Singleton, and the quarterback delivered on a +50 yard touchdown pass. It was a beautiful back shoulder throw, his receiver adjusted and high pointed the ball, and it lead to a score. All in all, it was a sharp, confident performance from the Arkansas commit.
Heading to play for Sam Pittman once his high school career is finished, Singleton has an opportunity to plug into a similar offense to what he runs at North Cobb when he joins the Razorbacks. He will be in an offense that is based around RPO concepts, and his familiarity and confidence in those reads should allow him to adjust quickly. He is a strong runner and accurate passer, and seeing the success of KJ Jefferson with a similar skillset has to breed confidence for the young signal caller.
For now, Singleton is working with his teammates as very real contenders for the 7A State Championship. He knows much of the pressure and leadership for that task falls to him, and Singleton shows more of that easy confidence in that role as well. Players like Singleton help turn contenders into champions.
