“I’m really excited and looking forward to the season. It’s easy to be the oil when the engine works so well. ” Robby Hicks is penciled in as the 2013 starting QB for the Countryside Cougars. Not a “newbie”, Hicks has plenty of varsity experience.
Last season he was inserted into the starting position after Christian Strong was ruled ineligible. Prior to him taking over under center, he saw plenty of game action due to the starters pulling away from the opponent early and often. Hicks is one of many talented players for Countryside. A blend of young upcoming talent and veteran experience, “We have a lot of young and upcoming talent, but we also have a lot of guys that have experience and know what it takes to win.”
The Cougars have been a traditional run first offense. Blessed with productive running backs and smart quarterbacks, the Cougars ate up yards on the ground and have been very efficient through the air. This year, the boys are putting the pigskin in the air a little more. “We switched up our offensive mentality so we can take full use of the speed and athleticism we have. When you have guys like Dezmen Ponds, Avery Cole, and Zack Laurinaitis, you want to make sure you can get them the ball. I’ve been training all summer with Coach Schmitz and Coach Kaleo to become better every day. A lot of people are saying that our O-line won’t be the same. But don’t worry, they’re putting in the work and will be a force to be reckoned with.”
In a matter of hours Countryside plus 29 other teams will gather at Fishhawk sports complex for the annual BHSN/BCP 9 Route 7 on 7 Tournament. Even though the Cougars want to win, there is always room to improve and prepare for the season. “We need to focus on getting the timing of the routes perfect and coming together as a team for a common goal, to win the tournament. It would be an honor to win the tournament and Countryside is going to give everyone else a run for their money,” says Hicks.
Just like many other high school prospects, Robby has hit the road this summer visiting and camping at several universities: FIU, Cincinnati, Chicagoland Showcase, Purdue, NIU, Colgate, Virginia, Brown, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Naval Academy, Air Force, Cornell, Wake Forest, and Duke. He wanted to get in front of college coaches to increase his exposure and recruitment, “I felt that at every camp I proved what I can do for the coaches and showed them my athleticism and arm. It was an amazing experience that I’m very lucky and fortunate to have been able to go on. I received positive feedback from all of the schools, but the strongest came from the IVYs, the Academies, and Virginia with winning MVP.”
The future is bright for Hicks, but his priorities are leading the Countryside Cougars to another successful season. Falling in line with some successful signal callers who wore the same jersey, Hicks has his sights set on becoming the next.