STORY WRITTEN BY AARON CARTER, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - OCT. 11, 2023

Expletives, eyebrows, and onomatopoeia.

当这些是人们用来描述四分卫的主要成分时, chances are they’re referencing a special talent.

Such is the case with Germantown Academy sophomore Xavier Stearn, who, through just five games in his first season as a starter, 在数据上已经超过了学校的天才四分卫.

Against Peddie School on Sept. 29, Stearn’s stepfather, 吉米·内格尔——他说他不是一个轻易夸赞的人——在6英尺6英寸的斯登在奔跑中发出一个令人印象深刻的前场传球后，他在一群旁观者面前兴高采烈.

内格尔在电话采访中说:“我们都面面相觑，‘天哪!’. “That was a [expletive] great pass!”

斯登是一名大一新生，当时大四的四分卫特里斯坦·马查多(Tristan Machado)第一次对斯登在爱国者队一线防线上投出的球探球表示惊讶.

GA coach Matt Dence, 他说几个著名的大学橄榄球队已经打电话询问斯登了, 在描述这个16岁男孩的手臂力量时，他甚至还提供了自己的音效.

“几个垂直的球在场上30到40码的地方，其他四分卫需要在下面放一些空气,” Dence said during practice this week, “and he’s just like ‘whoosh,’ straight shot.”

Those who know him, however, 斯登的特别之处并不仅仅在于显而易见的身体天赋. It might be his poise, leadership, 他的职业道德能让他成为学校下一个伟大的四分卫.

“他是一个自我激励的人，”进攻协调员凯尔·多纳休在电话中说. “He already recognizes coverages like a senior. 作为教练的我们压力很大，因为这个孩子在场上和场下都很特别.”

Next in line

Machado, now an 18-year-old freshman quarterback at Ursinus, says he felt pressure to live up to the standard set by Jordan Longino, whom he played behind as an underclassmen.

“I was watching Jordan make all these crazy plays, and I pushed myself to make similar plays when I got my turn,” Machado said in a phone interview. “There was that sense of pressure, but I think we all thrive on it and use it to excel in those moments.”

Machado graduated as the school’s single-season passing leader with 2,054 yards, eclipsing Longino, now a standout basketball player at Villanova who finished with 1,991 yards.

Sean Grieve (1,在2004年毕业之前，他一直保持着这个纪录，并在威廉和玛丽学院的钻石上担任主角.

Before he played tight end at Cornell, Hayes Nolte threw for more than 1,700 yards as a senior in 2013, 而凯尔·麦克洛斯基(Kyle McCloskey)于2017年毕业，以3分的成绩成为该校的职业领袖,902 yards before playing basketball at Penn State.

本赛季到目前为止，斯登已经掷出了1180码，触地得分16次.

“当他的年中录像带出来的时候，”丹斯说，“会让人瞠目结舌的.”

The undefeated Patriots (5-0), who host Haverford School on Saturday, still have five games left in Inter-Ac play.

“这对我来说意义重大，能成为已经持续了很长时间的事情的一部分,” Stearn said at practice this week.

“在我之前有很多优秀的球员，但我会不负众望. Just keep working and keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

Proud papa

Sounds simple, but, according to Donahue, Stearn does quite a bit.

He has been committed to strengthening his body for the last few years, 他们还特意规定了他在练习中投球的频率，这样他的手臂就能保持健康.

28岁的多纳休2014年从乔治亚大学毕业，从斯登上中学开始就一直担任他的教练.

Stearn also works with private quarterback coach Vernard Abrams, who starred at Cardinal Doughtery and later at La Salle University. Perhaps as a result of tutelage from both, Stearn’s presence and mobility within the pocket is impeccable.

“His footwork is special,” Dence said. “It’s just different. 我们有一些非常优秀的四分卫运动员，也有一些非常优秀的四分卫，他们擅长其他方面. 他在口袋里的步法，他如何避免压力，以及他如何在口袋里移动以获得一个干净的投掷通道，与我们遇到的任何一个孩子都不同.”

Combine that footwork with his arm strength, ability to command respect in the huddle, desire to improve, and the intelligence to digest and apply concepts from the playbook, you’ll see why Donahue was so giddy after a cold, rainy throwing session last winter.

多纳休说:“他在倾盆大雨中没有丢球，而且他还是个大一新生。. “Me and [Machado] looked at each other like, ‘Holy cow!’ That was when I knew he was ready.”

You won’t hear Stearn toot his own horn. You might not hear much from him at all. Perhaps about as loud as he gets is the demure gold No. 14 necklace that hangs around his neck.

丹斯形容斯登是一个安静的孩子，“只想成为他们中的一员。.”

That’s how his stepfather, Nagle, likes it. 内格尔在1999年毕业于弗兰克福德大学，是一名全联盟四分卫. 14.

Nagle said he came into Stearn’s life when he was about 5 years old. As the two grew closer, Nagle eventually explained that he wore No. 14岁是因为他父亲在他7岁的时候随机给他选的.

Nagle’s father, also named Jimmy, taught him to be humble, to deflect praise toward teammates, and to be a leader in the huddle, before he died when Nagle was 14.

Dence and Donahue say that’s exactly how Stearn operates.

“I’m proud of him,” Nagle said with emotion in his voice. “我可能不会每时每刻都表现给他看，但我想他内心深处知道我为他感到骄傲.”

Nagle even had the No. 为斯登和他7岁的四分卫弟弟克鲁兹(Cruz)打造的魅力. He is also having one made for himself.

“这是一个小小的家庭传统，也许有一天他们会传给他们的孩子，”他说.

Just as he preaches to his son, 内格尔在采访结束前插话，给了应得的荣誉.

“I don’t want everyone to think that it’s just me,” he said. “My wife, Jenn, she takes him to every camp, every practice. She deserves a lot of the credit for him.”