Football: Receivers have helped Devin Leary to brink of history

Devin Leary can make history on Friday night.

He won't do it alone.

The Timber Creek senior quarterback will begin his team's showdown at rival Williamstown in position to set state records for both career passing yards and career passing touchdowns.

But Leary, a North Carolina State recruit who has led Timber Creek to the No. 1 spot in the Inquirer Top 25 as well as to 22 consecutive victories, will need help from the offensive line that affords him time and space, and from the receivers who grab his passes and run with them.

"It's unbelievable," Timber Creek senior wide receiver Michael Johnson said. "To think that there's hasn't been anyone else in state history that will have done what he's done, it's really amazing and it's really exciting to be part of it."

The development of Timber Creek's inexperienced receiving corps has helped bring Leary to the brink of writing his name at the top of the record books.

Johnson and fellow receivers such as senior Jordan Nash, junior Jayvin Little and sophomore Tarheeb Still have a unique perspective on Leary, a three-year starter who also saw action in a few games as a freshman.

To a man, Leary's top targets regard his leadership skills as the key to his success, even more than his arm strength, accuracy, pocket presence and knack for deciphering defenses.

"It's his ability to lead that makes him a great quarterback," Nash said. "He's a great person, a great leader in the locker room. He always us trying to pick our spirits up."

Said Still: "Devin is a great leader. He's always setting an example, always showing us what to do."

Leary has 8,495 career passing yards and 94 career passing touchdowns, both South Jersey records. The state marks in both categories were set in 1997 by Butler's Scott Brown, who threw for 8,732 yards and 96 touchdowns, according to state sports historian Chuck Langerman.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Leary needs 238 yards and three touchdowns to set the state marks. He could play a total of five more games after Friday night, assuming Timber Creek advances to the South Jersey Group 3 title game on the weekend of Dec. 2-3, so he is likely to pass the 100-touchdown mark and has an outside shot at 10,000 career yards.

"It's special for us, just to be part of it," Little said.

Leary's ability to bring out the best in his teammates has been put to the test in 2017 as the Chargers began this season with a receiving corps with just a handful of catches at the varsity level. Leary has spread the wealth. In six games, the quarterback has thrown 20 touchdown passes to 10 receivers.

Little has 17 catches for 436 yards (25.6-yard average) and four touchdowns, while Still has 17 catches for 330 yards (19.4-yard average) and two touchdowns.

Johnson has 13 catches for 319 yards (24.5-yard average) and two touchdowns and has come on strong in recent weeks after missing time in the summer with a hamstring injury.

Nash has nine catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Seniors Deion Jennings (10 catches for 220 yards and three touchdowns) and Giomanni Perez (10 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown) also have been top targets for Leary.

"We're getting better every game," Little said of the receivers. "You can see it in practice. We're working hard, pushing each other, always trying to get better."

Johnson said that having Leary at quarterback has enabled the receiving corps to gain confidence during the course of the season.

"In the beginning, we looked a little iffy," Johnson said. "The timing was off a little. But once we started to click with Devin, we got quicker and quicker. Now we're like a train that can't really be stopped."