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Gary Nova from 16U makes Sports U/Team IZOD proud!!
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Four All-State quarterbacks. Three with Division I football scholarships
on their resume. One in the NFL.
That just might be the most exclusive football fraternity in North Jersey,
and Nova officially becomes the newest pledge Saturday night. That’s when
the junior from Elmwood Park makes his debut as the Don Bosco starting
quarterback, a position that Knief once called the most prestigious in all
of Bergen County sports.
"Yes, there’s a lot of pressure in that," Nova said. "I just try not to
think about it. All I can do is go out there and take care of what I have
to do.
"Then, I can put my name up there with theirs." |
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And Nova won’t exactly be easing into the job. He has less than a quarter
of varsity experience, but he’ll open against national powerhouse De La
Salle of Concord, Calif., in front of 7,000 fans at Granatell Stadium.
"This is why I came to this school," Nova said.
Nova doesn’t come across as cocky, but he certainly believes in himself.
And, more importantly, the Ironmen, ranked No. 1 in the North Jersey Top
25, believe in him.
"We know this guy on and off the field," said wide receiver Jimmy Clark.
"Confidence? Definitely. No question.
"We’ve got his back, and we know what he can do with the ball. I think he
has what it takes to be a leader."
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Nova said he learned a lot from Knief, especially
watching him handle himself in the win over De La Salle last September. He
spent some time working with Simms over the summer, and met Teel when the
former Rutgers star spent a day at camp before reporting to the Seattle
Seahawks.
"Brett led this team by his actions, and I want to be like him," said
Nova, who also plays basketball. "I’m not the kind of player who screams
‘Hurrah’ all the time, but I can lead by example."
Nova sees himself as a pocket passer, but he said he is not afraid to roll
out and run the ball when he has to.
"I think he has all the skills that are important to a quarterback," said
Don Bosco athletic director/offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile. "He
has a great arm, and really good feet. He’s not a burner, but he can run."
"I think I can outrun most linebackers," Nova said.
Campanile said he will use two quarterbacks on Saturday. Bosco also has a
couple of talented sophomores in No. 2 Mike Yankovich and Frankie Failace,
and Nova said their presence kept him from taking anything for granted
this summer.
"I think they made him go," Campanile said. "I think that made him
understand the urgency of every snap. It made him more competitive, and I
think it will make him a better leader."
And that’s a good thing because few players in North Jersey will be as
closely scrutinized this season. That’s the price that Nova has to pay if
he wants to take his place alongside Levy, Teel, Simms and Knief.
"They were all different quarterbacks, and so is he," Clark said. "He’s a
big part of us. Just look at him. He looks like a Division I player."
"That’s pressure, but he can handle it," Campanile said. "He’s innately
confident. He believes he can be great, but in a subtle, humble way." |
