CONSISTENCY THE KEY FOR DON BOSCO PREP VETERAN QB LOOKING TO CHANGE HIS NARRATIVE

Jahquil Batts is on a mission to change the narrative he believes follows him. "I want to show people I can do more than just run with the ball," the Don Bosco Prep senior quarterback said. "I want to show them I'm more than just an athlete." Batts has shown flashes of the type of potential he has since his sophomore year and enters 2019 with the most live varsity experience of any 'Big 6' quarterback. Now, as he enters his final high school season, the word that's lingering around him is consistency. "I've got to show that I'm the leader of this offense and be able to make the plays when they're there," Batts said. "Coach [Dan] Sabella is drilling it in me. 'You've got to me consistent.' And lately, if I miss a play in practice, I'm the first to get on myself. In my mind I'm just thinking, 'Come on, Jah. Let's get this.'" That mindset was most evident in a recent scrimmage against Millville -- a stage with significantly less at stake than what's to come over the next three months -- but still served as another learning experience for the third-year starting quarterback. It was second-and-short and teammate Jalen Berger, NJ.com’s No. 1-ranked overall recruit, found himself breaking free from one-on-one coverage out wide. "I threw the fade and overshot him by a little bit," Batts recalled. "It's something I just can't miss. We've got to get that timing down and I've got to be more accurate. That's all part of the consistency we're looking for." Sabella, a former All-County QB himself in the early 1990s at Bogota, has made a career at getting the most out of his quarterbacks. Just three years ago, the former record-breaking QB at Monmouth took over Paramus Catholic and handed the keys to the offense to an undersized Andrew Brito, who proceeded to put up All-State caliber numbers en route to leading the Paladins to the 2016 Non-Public Group 4 title. Brito is now vying for the starting job at Division I UMass and could start against Rutgers in the season opener. Now, Sabella is looking to progress Batts’ maturation under center. "With Jahquil, it's about three things: decision making, accuracy and consistency," Sabella said. "The decision making is key. He's got to have a plan every time he walks to the line. Every play, there has to be a checklist in his mind that will put us in a good situation. Secondly, it's his overall accuracy and consistency. He'll make 2-3 terrific plays, then have a not so good one. We know he's capable of it. It comes down to knowing your players and knowing what they can do. Jahquil can do a lot." With a defense featuring several key returning starters and a handful of promising newcomers, Don Bosco’s defense is expected to, at the very least, keep them competitive in most games. While its offense averaged 28.2 points per game during last year’s 6-5 season, that number was nearly cut in half, to 15.7 points per game, in four contests against fellow Non-Public Group 4 semifinalists -- St. Joseph (Mont.), St. Peter’s Prep and Bergen Catholic twice. Should that number see a significant increase, Don Bosco Prep could be dangerous come late November. "Our defense is always outstanding at keeping the other team out of the end zone," Batts said. "It's our job to put points on the board. If our offense picks it up and plays the way we think we're capable of, this could be a special year. "The sky can be the limit once we get this thing rolling.”

CONSISTENCY THE KEY FOR DON BOSCO PREP VETERAN QB LOOKING TO CHANGE HIS NARRATIVE

Photo Credit: Matt Smith