by MOSES LEOS III
Looking at a barbell with weights of various sizes on each side, Lehman High School junior Jeremy Schilhab takes a deep breath. He knows the weight is heavy. He understands the strain his body will soon endure.
Yet, the starting quarterback of the Lehman Lobos does not elicit a blood-curdling scream, or yell out words of self-encouragement.
Instead, he focuses: quiet, determined, confident.
Schilhab picks up the barbell, and begins to deadlift. With multiple repetitions, his arms and body feel the strain of the workout. But he finishes the set. And just as calmly as he began the workout, Schilhab lets down the barbell with a soft thud.
One set down, another one to go.
The intense, quiet work ethic greatly personifies the Lobos quarterback, as he and his teammates go through strength and conditioning workouts during the summer months.
“Our strength and conditioning workouts are crazy, in a good way,” Schilhab said. “It pushes us, it makes us want to work harder.”
Working harder is the goal for Schilhab, as he now transitions to the starting role at Lehman. Last year, he was the third string quarterback, as Paul Matthews and Josh Guerrero split time under center; Schilhab, as a result, saw limited action.
However, as the 2012 season progressed, he saw a more defined role as the leader of the Lobos’ offense.
Schilhab, only a sophomore at the time, knew the speed of the game was different at the varsity level. He got his first taste in the latter part of the season.
“The pace of the game was the biggest change. From receivers to defensive linemen, players on the field are a whole lot faster,” Schilhab said. “The intensity of the game was more physical; there is not as much room for mistakes.”
Yet, pre-game jitters will no longer be a problem for the junior quarterback. His efforts in the final two games of the year, including the 28-20 victory over Schertz Clemens in the season finale, helped soothe any nerves he may have had.
“There is some pressure, but the two games I had last season helped take some of it away,” Schilhab said. “This year, I aim to go out and win games.”
Schilhab has also gone through ways to alleviate the stress prior to game day.
“Usually, the night before a game, I relax with my friends and hang out,” he said. “Once Friday rolls around, I joke around with teammates and just have fun.”
Such mentality helped Schilhab put up strong numbers in two games he played last year. Schilhab threw for 221 yards, 128 of which were in the Lobos’ season finale against Clemens.
The leadership of the Lobos now falls upon Schilhab’s shoulders. He got his first glimpse of the life of a starter during spring practice.
His even keeled approach at the line of scrimmage helped the team progress under second year head coach Todd Raymond.
“Spring practice was really good this year,” Schilhab said. “We got the chance to install more of Coach [Raymond’s] offense. We had a better idea of what to do; we were not lost.”
Working out with the team during the summer also has paid off dividends.
To ensure the Lobos are fit for the upcoming season, the coaching staff employs a cross-fit mentality with a more intense workout regimen.
All of this helped Schilhab realize just how far he has come from his football days at Simon Middle School.
“When I started at quarterback for Simon, I could barely get the snap from center,” he said. “Now, I can read and react to different coverage schemes, as well as adjust to the game more efficiently.”
Schilhab has his sights on his next goal: instilling belief in the Lobos football program.
“We want to win; we want to show everyone we can be successful at Lehman,” Schilhab said. “Our goal is to go out there this season, and win games. I believe we can. I think we will surprise some people.”
