MT. ZION, Ill. (WCIA) — Playing alongside top talents like JC Anderson and Brayden Trimble helped Jacob Harvey fly under the radar as a junior.
“We got Brayden, and everybody knew about Brayden and concentrated on him, and then JC is kind of the same thing. And then that leaves Harvey, a lot of times in a single match-up,” head coach Patrick Etherton said.
The receiver and defensive back isn’t catching anyone off guard as a senior after leading the Braves with 1,100 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns the previous season.
“He’s a great leader and he runs great routes,” senior quarterback Keller Stocks said. “He always helps find an open spot when I’m scrambling, and he always makes a big catch if I ever am a little bit off target.”
A four-year varsity starter, Harvey brings a wealth of experience to the Braves on both sides of the ball.
“It’s definitely an advantage, you know, coming into like junior, senior, I’ve already played for three years, whereas I see other guys in maybe their first year, so I obviously have more experience than they do,” Harvey said.
“He’s in great shape, and he’s really, I mean, he’s a 33 or 34 ACT student so, he can memorize all that and be good, and then he’s just a great kid and understands it,” Etherton.
The all-state receiver has consistently been a threat with his speed, enhancing his technical skills through additional practice field reps.
“Honestly just grinding in the offseason out here with Keller and some of the other receivers, I try to train as much as possible and just perfect my craft,” Harvey said.
Harvey’s filling a bigger role for the Mt. Zion offense following Trimble’s departure, the Mt. Zion senior learning all he could from the Illinois freshman.
“Whenever I was coming in, I made sure to ask a lot of questions, learn a lot of things from him because he obviously had a lot of success,” Harvey said.
The two-way standout has filled in well for Trimble so far with 634 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through four games heading into our Friday Football Fever Spotlight Game of the Week at Mahomet-Seymour Friday at 7:00 p.m.
