Germantown Academy

By Rick Kauffman

rkauffman@timesherald.com

WHITEMARSH — A star was born at Germantown Academy in the form of a 6-foot-4, 225-pound stud quarterback by the name of Hayes Nolte.

Over the course of three stellar seasons under center, Nolte led the Patriots to their first league-win, a winning season, a win over Inter-Ac rival Penn Charter and a school record of 3,886 total passing yards.

And then he was gone.

Off to greener pastures, Cornell University on a football scholarship, Nolte left GA on a high-note.

After a 6-4 season, ending a 15-game winless streak against Inter-Ac teams, don’t expect the Patriots to continue playing second fiddle any longer.

In the place of Nolte’s wayward skills at quarterback are two budding athletes in hopes of making an immediate impact on a young Patriots squad. Kyle McCloskey, a sophomore, and Isaiah Jones, a freshman, aim to continue the upward trend this season and beyond.

“Hayes texted me the other day and said, ‘I’m pretty sure my record isn’t going to last very long, because those two can really play,’” said coach Matt Dence, who is just starting his third season as head coach of the Patriots. “We have big expectations for Kyle, but we also have big expectations for Isaiah.”

McCloskey in just one full season at GA has already proven his wherewithal on a varsity team — helping lead GA athletic director and basketball coach Jim Fenerty’s team to an Inter-Ac championship — he was one of two freshman to make the starting five.

“I’m much more confident with him as our starting quarterback because of seeing him in pressure situations … one of Jim’s biggest compliments is that he never wilted under pressure,” Dence said. “He got the ball in rhythm in key spots and wasn’t afraid to take the shot, where most freshman would be.”

But, not so fast, what about Jones? He’s tall, athletic, and seemingly has a keen eye for the pace of the game. While just a freshman, his reputation precedes him, highly regarded from the Inter-Ac middle schools

“In Inter-Ac middle school, he was by far the best player,” Dence said.

Yet, maybe his biggest asset will be his versatility. He’s bound to make the field, probably has the skill to fill into any position, so does that make McCloskey the shoe-in for QB and Jones more useful as a plug-and-play starter?

“He’s a tremendous athlete. He can play corner, running back, wide receiver,” Dence said of Jones. “He’s not just an athletic quarterback, because he can really throw the ball.”

But, it wouldn’t make things interesting the first week of camp if not for some friendly competition.

“We’re a young team, so we need the quarterback to tell the teammates what they need to do … you have to be the on-field coach,” McCloskey said. “Obviously, skill is a big part of it, but not the biggest — you need to be a leader.”

Under Dence’s no huddle spread offense, the quarterback will first need to put in the study time to learn the offense. McCloskey said that ever since basketball season ended, and around his AAU circuit over the summer, he’s been focused on being the leader the team needs him to be.

And he knows what it’ll take from watching Nolte first hand.

“I’ve done a lot of film study looking at our quarterback, who was very successful last year, and what he had to do to make his reads and go through his progressions,” McCloskey said.

Simply Nolte’s presence on the field to the then-freshman was worthwhile, as McCloskey spoke highly of the Division-I athlete as both a player and role model.

“He really cared about making sure I knew what I needed to do, I wouldn’t be where I am if he didn’t help me last year,” McCloskey said. “He was a great player, he taught me poise in the pocket — he had the head-game right.”

Thus far, McCloskey has gotten all the support he needs from the senior leaders on the squad, and that’s really all he needs right now. “I think it’s tough to try to come off a quarterback like Hayes, but Kyle has really worked towards it in the offseason,” said running back Ryan Calhoun.

“Kyle did an excellent job of bearing the weight,” said left tackle Max Hanarmirian. “I think he’s going to do great things for us.”