Nathe07
patreon
MD - Chapter 153: Tests III
🕑 Added 2025-07-06 17:28:30 +0000 UTCDay 2: Endurance Tests and QB-Specific Drills
First came the long sprint test: 100 yards. Players lined up in groups. You could immediately tell who was fresh and who hadn’t slept well.
Andrew, showing no signs of fatigue, ran with power and focus from the very first meter.
He ended up in the top two results, just behind Nick and another RB in terms of speed, but barely. His physical condition was excellent.
Finally, what he had been waiting for the most arrived: the quarterback-specific drills.
When the timer stopped and players regrouped by position, the linemen moved off toward their contact areas, the receivers and running backs started their route drills… and the quarterbacks were left alone.
Max Wittek, the favorite. A senior. Four-star recruit.
Dylan Lagarde, also in 11th grade, the official backup.
Andrew, the star signing.
A freshman and a sophomore, both promising, but still green.
Five quarterbacks in total.
And out of all of them, Andrew had been the top performer in every physical test the day before.
Max knew it. And he couldn’t help it, he kept glancing at Andrew every few seconds. Maybe searching for a sign. Weakness. Nerves. A crack in the armor.
But Andrew acted like he didn’t even notice. Like Max was just part of the scenery.
What Max didn’t know… was that he was in trouble.
This was Andrew’s real domain. His kingdom.
In his other life, he had been Ethan, an elite QB from Texas, state champion at 16, though he died in the final seconds of the championship game while throwing the game-winning TD.
And although his body was different now, his memories, his experience, and his instincts were sharper than ever.
He had been training since he was five years old. Eleven years of obsession.
And all that experience… now amplified by the body of someone who physically outmatched any high school quarterback in the country, even elite ones like Max, Dylan, and the rest.
Max was supposed to be the starter. That’s what the paperwork said. That’s what the coaches thought just 48 hours ago.
Dylan was the backup. Calm, disciplined, reliable. As of yesterday, his position seemed secure.
But now all of that was being turned upside down.
Because if Andrew outperformed them here too, as obviously as he had the day before, they were in serious trouble.
First up: maximum power throw. The wind was calm. Clear skies. No excuses.
“Three attempts. Tight spiral. No run-up. We want to see raw power,” said Rick, notebook in hand.
First came the freshmen and sophomore, they hit between 45-55 yards.
Then came Dylan: 60 yards. Good mechanics, smooth delivery, effortless. A solid number, starter-level at most schools.
Next was Max. He rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath.
61 yards. Not bad, though Rick clearly expected a little more. Maybe the psychological weight of Andrew’s presence was getting to him.
Then came Andrew. He stepped forward with the ball in hand… and threw.
First attempt: 65 yards.
The ball shot out like a bullet, tracing a perfect arc. It landed with a slight spin, clean.
Second attempt: 70 yards.
The throw came out faster. Rick raised an eyebrow. Dylan swallowed hard.
Third attempt: 71 yards.
Close to that one throw he’d made long ago at Palisades during an official game, though that one had gone 75 yards because he was able to get a running start.
The spiral was so clean it looked suspended in the air. It landed smoothly, well beyond where Max’s had touched down.
Silence. Again.
“Was that…?” one of the assistants asked.
“Seventy-one. With sensors. It’s real,” confirmed Rick without even looking up from the stopwatch.
From the back, Bruce crossed his arms. Of course he knew about Andrew’s famous 75-yard throw, though that one had a running start. It had ended in a touchdown and went viral, even for a down division like Palisades.
But many had dismissed it:
“The wind helped.”
“The defense was badly positioned.”
“It was just a one-time thing. Everything aligned.”
Maybe.
But seeing it now, in a controlled setting, was a different story.
A high school quarterback who can throw 65 yards is already considered elite. That’s what Matt Barkley, the best QB to come out of Mater Dei in the last decade, had done before signing with USC.
But Andrew had just thrown six yards more.
And it wasn’t luck. It wasn’t a fluke.
Second test: Accuracy (short, mid, and long)
Both static and moving targets were set up at staggered distances.
Ten throws per quarterback.
Max: 9 hits. Very solid. Missed one deep throw.
Dylan: 7 hits. Good short touch, inconsistent on long passes.
Andrew:
One. Two. Three…
Nine.
Ten.
10 out of 10.
The staff exchanged glances.
It wasn’t just perfect spirals. These were rhythm throws, to the chest, to the exact spot the receiver should be, not where he was.
Even on the deep throws, Andrew released the ball before the target broke open. As if he already knew exactly where it needed to go.
"That kind of timing isn’t normal..." murmured Rick.
The final test was throwing on the move and under pressure. Cones, pads, whistles. Blitz simulation. Rollouts. Lateral movement. Plant-and-throw spins.
A drill where many quarterbacks look slow, robotic, or forced.
Max performed solidly. Accurate under pressure, but a bit stiff in his movements, like he knew he was being outshined by the star newcomer.
Dylan struggled with reads. He held the ball too long, over-rotated his body. His second deep throw was intercepted in simulation.
Then came Andrew, stepping in like he was walking in to his own house.
Jump throw. Floating pass on the run. Pocket escape. Everything flowed naturally.
At one point, he leapt mid-stride, twisted his torso midair, and nailed a 25-yard bullet to the chest of his simulated receiver.
Rick clicked his tongue and nodded, not hiding his admiration.
“How...?” one of the assistants whispered.
“I don’t know where this kid came from, but this doesn’t feel like a competition anymore,” said another.
The drills were over. Players slowly filtered out, some talking amongst themselves, others in silence.
Andrew walked alone, backpack slung over his shoulder. He was tired, but satisfied with his performance, and more than that, fully aware of the earthquake he’d just caused.
He had dismantled Max and Dylan.
In power. In speed. In accuracy. In decision-making.
What happened, D1 elites? Outperformed by a guy from Palisades, a D4 school that barely existed two years ago?
Still, he didn’t see it as a massive achievement. To him, it felt inevitable.
He’d been training since he was five. He came from a past life where he was already elite, only now, he was even better. Much better.
Even so, he knew this wasn’t enough.
The starting spot wasn’t his just yet. Elite programs like Mater Dei don’t switch quarterbacks overnight, not just because of two days of physical and technical tests.
Seniority is respected. Reputation. Commitment.
Max Wittek was a senior, committed to USC, with years in the system.
Taking his spot now would be crazy, and it was still too early to make that kind of decision.
But after what Andrew did in those drills, the balance was no longer even. Now, it tilted in his favor.
If this were boxing, Max and Dylan had survived the early rounds, but today, Andrew knocked them to the canvas.
Now all that remained was to finish the fight and for that, he had to focus on what was next: July training.
Four practices a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. For two weeks.
'Damn… so much for my summer break,' Andrew thought.
And it was only July. He had to drive out here in his Camaro, and he hadn’t even started 11th grade yet.
These practices were real, with his actual new teammates. No more physical tests or mechanical drills.
7-on-7 specific practices (seven offensive players vs. seven defenders, no O-line, no blitzing; just passing, reading, and execution).
Quarterback rotation: Andrew, Max… and maybe Dylan, if he still had anything left to prove.
Each one would have their drives. Their series. Every throw, every read, every decision would be under the microscope.
Rick, Bruce, and the entire staff would have their eyes on every detail.
There, Andrew would have to do something no sensor could measure:
Connect. Command. Lead.
It wasn’t enough to throw pretty spirals or be the most athletic. He had to build real chemistry with the receivers.
Understand Victor’s speed.
Duarte’s break point.
The rhythm of the running backs.
He had to read defenses in real time: Man coverage. Zone. Post-snap coverage shifts.
If he stood out like he did in the drills, he’d win the starting spot for the Dana Hills summer tournament at the end of July.
The tournament lasted two days: Friday and Saturday, assuming the team made it past Friday’s group stage.
It was a tournament where only one starting QB was taken. One quarterback.
If he wanted to start the regular season in September as Mater Dei’s starting quarterback in his junior year…
That was the path: Shine in practice. Dominate in scrimmages. Be chosen as the starter for Dana Hills.
If he manages to be the starter at Dana Hills, his starting spot for September will be practically guaranteed.
He would have to perform very poorly in that tournament to lose the job once he’s earned it.
Comments
Matt Holmes
Thanks for the chapter
