FOOTBALL: Lajoie gives Lenape a coach on the field
- Lenape enters the showdown against its district rival a perfect 6-0
- Junior QB Matt Lajoie has three TD passes and four rushing touchdowns
Matt Lajoie laughed when talking about his days of midget football.
“When I was little, I had a problem hopping in the pocket to see over my linemen,” he recalled.
WILD WIN: Lenape knocks off Rancocas Valley
To look at the Lenape High School junior, one may wonder how someone 5-foot-7, 165 pounds could be a starting quarterback. How does he see over those 6-2, 6-3 guys in front of him?
When you’re confident in your ability, smart enough to be a second coach on the field and one who understands the intricacies of the game, height – or the lack thereof – is nothing more than a number. It clearly doesn't define you.
“He’s not the tallest kid, but he’s a quarterback,” coach Tim McAneney said. “He makes great decisions, he’s a great leader. When the ball is in his hands, good things usually happen.
“I watched Matt play youth football and saw him win championships in seventh and eighth grades. He does enough study and has a good idea where teams line up. He’s going to take what they give him and not try to force things. He knows it’s about moving the chains. He’s not looking for stats, just wins.”
So far, so good.
Lenape, No. 5 in the Courier-Post Mean 15, is 6-0 with the first-year quarterback directing the offense. The Indians have outscored opponents 153-30 and will host No. 7 Cherokee (4-2) on Friday in a West Jersey Football League interdivision matchup of district rivals.
Lajoie doesn’t have gaudy stats. He’s completed 26-of-48 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns. When he gets a chance to run, he’s rushed for 312 yards and four TDs.
Who's No. 1? Check out the latest Mean 15 rankings for S.J. football
His best passing performance came against Rancocas Valley, when he was 5-of-13 for 115 yards – including a 67-yard bomb to Jake Topolski for the game-winning TD.
His top effort on the ground was 111 yards and a score on eight carries against Egg Harbor Township, although he did run for a pair of touchdowns in his debut against Trenton on opening day.
“I’m just another guy on the team trying to do my job,” Lajoie says. “I’m just the guy who calls the plays. I credit everything to the linemen.
“I just try to do what I can control. I’m not trying to be a hero by making big plays on every down. I just need to do my job on each play and lead this team.”
Not a big rah-rah guy, Lajoie has developed into a player others look toward for leadership. It tends to be the nature of the position, but Lajoie has earned the respect of teammates by the way he goes about his business.
“He makes a lot of decisions,” McAneney said. “We do a lot of checks, changing plays at the line of scrimmage. We’ll send in what we want to do concept-wise and he knows within that concept where we want to go and where we want to take it. He has the head to recognize defensive fronts, coverages and the autonomy to do some things read-wise.
“As a first-year starting quarterback, he’s truly another coach on the field.”
Lajoie has always been a quarterback, his passion for the position and its importance running deep.
“I was talking with my parents after last week’s game. You live for this stuff - Friday night, full house, playing the game you love,” he said. “Football has been my passion for a long time. I love the game. I get pumped for the game. Anything to do with football, I’m all about it.”
Said McAneney: “When a guy plays that first year you don’t know until that first Friday night when the lights come on how he’s going to react and how he’s going to do some things. The good thing is, he’s been highly competitive.”
Kevin Minnick; (856) 486-2424; kminnick@gannettnj.com
Game of the Week
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Cherokee Players to Watch: Jacob Bodine (QB, Sr.), John Lovett (RB/DB, Sr.), Steve Gervasi (TE/DE, Sr.), Connor Ashton (DB, Sr.), Meikle Bowers (DB, Sr.), Ethan McCarren (K, Jr.)
Lenape Players to Watch: Matt Lajoie (QB, Jr.), Tyler Steffa (OL/DL, Sr.), Mike Doulong (WR/DB, Sr.), Julian Singh (OL, Sr.), Ben Harris (K/P, Sr.), JoJo Kellum (RB, Jr.)
Breaking it down: Cherokee has won eight of the last 10 games between the district rivals, although they’ve split the last two. The Chiefs don’t want a third loss as they look to solidify a berth in the S.J. Group 5 playoffs, while a win would certainly help the Indians stay at or near the top of the S.J. Group 4 picture. Look for the game to be won in the trenches, with both teams looking to run the football the majority of the time. It could come down to a field goal as the final seconds tick off the clock.