Move over, Danny DeVito. Dylan Koch is passing through.
DeVito, the diminutive comedic actor and longtime star of Jersey Mike’s Subs’ ad campaign, may have to give up the latter role if Koch continues his stellar play behind center for the King George High School football team. Koch has posted gaudy numbers in his first season as starting quarterback, helping the Foxes overcome heavy graduation losses and a slow start to win their first two Battlefield District games.
While Koch attributes his performance to a handful of factors, he pointed to one pregame ritual as fuel for his weekly aerial assault.
“I eat a Jersey Mike’s sub before every game,” he said. “I get an Italian sub every time. … My mom brings me food before every game, and that’s always what I choose.”
DeVito seems unlikely to hand over his pitchman spot to Koch, but the latter is too preoccupied with other things anyway. He’s trying to lead King George (3-2 overall, 2-0 district) to its fifth consecutive district championship and a return trip to the Class 4 state playoffs.
“I believe that we have a lot of potential,” Koch said of this year’s Foxes. “For my part, I need to protect the football and make quick decisions.”
Through the Foxes’ first five contests, the senior has completed 60% of his passes for 1,411 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s eclipsed the 300-yard mark and thrown for four scores twice and amassed three TD passes on two other occasions.
Even Koch’s least productive outing proved an efficient one. He completed 12 of 14 passes for 204 yards in a 41-20 road victory over district title hopeful Courtland (3-2, 1-1) last Friday.
“We ask our QBs to do a lot in this offense, and Dylan has worked very hard to be well-prepared each week,” King George head coach Vern Lunsford said. “He moves through pass progressions very quickly, and he understands pass protections, all of which have allowed him to put up some big numbers.”
Koch said that he initially felt some pressure to live up to the standard set by the Foxes’ past three starting QBs — all of whom experienced tremendous success before moving on to the collegiate level. But he was able to overcome any jitters by trusting the process and what his own on-field experiences thus far.
“I trusted myself due to my experience in the offense,” said Koch, who backed up all-state selection Jack Pearson a year ago and was a starter on the junior varsity team before that. “I have been in the system for four years now, and I trust the coaching staff to put me in the right spots to [succeed].”
Koch has also benefitted from having a productive trio of senior pass-catchers to throw to.
Gunnar Reger has caught 26 passes for 519 yards, both team-highs. His three TD receptions are tied with Charles Johnson for second on the squad. Johnson has hauled in 20 balls for 297 yards, while St. Michael transfer Ky’Mani Carpenter has 16 receptions for 355 yards and a team-high five scores.
That trio has helped King George offset the graduation of both Mekhai White and Chanz Wiggins, who are now playing at Maryland and Virginia Tech, respectively. That dynamic duo of four-year starters combined for more than 2,000 yards and 32 TDs last season.
“I feel like our offensive weapons have been overlooked,” Koch said. “They’ve been great on the outside this year, and they make my job easy because I know that I can trust them to come down with the ball when I see them in a one-on-one matchup.”
Koch added that while he may trust his receivers in those 50/50 situations, he feels he has some room for improvement as it pertains to his decision-making on when and where to throw the ball.
“I simply need to limit turnovers,” he said, pointing to his six interceptions as an example. “I need to do a better job of protecting the football.”
Lunsford expressed all the confidence in the world that his QB1 will continue to grow and make smart decisions with the ball.
“Dylan has a high football IQ,” he said. “He’s doing a great job distributing the ball to our playmakers in space, and I expect that will continue.”
With a belly full of Jersey Mike’s and a handful of talented weapons at his disposal, Koch will lead the Foxes into a district showdown with visiting Culpeper on Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
