Playing quarterback for the Greenwood Eagles is a daunting task. For a well respected program such as Greenwood, the pressure is on every time you wear the black and gold.
Triston Lewis, who made his first varsity start on Friday, had to face a premier squad in A.C. Flora. The Falcons, who won the 4A state championship in 2020, has made deep playoff runs the past two seasons.
Lewis led the Eagles to an opening week victory over the Falcons, 24-23. Getting off on the right foot was huge for both the Greenwood Eagles and Lewis. In his first start, Lewis racked up 126 yards through the air, 55 rushing yards, and a touchdown. No sign of first-game jitters.
“Before the game I made sure I was calm,” Lewis said. “I made sure I was doing everything right and not thinking about the pressure.”
His statement play came in the first quarter. A 50-yard touchdown pass to an open Jayden Adams. To Lewis, plays like those come from trust.
“Being here at the field for every workout, running every morning with my teammates,” said Lewis. “That trust is huge.”
This summer, Triston Lewis outpaced expectations and won the role of QB1.
“I had a feeling I would be named QB1,” Lewis said. “But at the same time I didn’t know who all was going to be quarterback, I knew I had to work.”
Lewis, who is now a sophomore, checks plenty of boxes. He has the size, listed at 6-foot-3. He possesses poise in the pocket, has a rocket for a right arm, and the elusiveness needed to excel at the QB position.
“I started in 10U playing quarterback,” said Lewis. “I was pretty young, but have always played (quarterback).”
Being a great game manager is a very underrated aspect of being under center, especially at the high school level. Even with the youth of Lewis as a player, his game management skills are far beyond your average sophomore.
“For the most part, (Lewis) played really well,” said Greenwood head coach Chris Liner. “He managed the game really well. Certainly we saw a lot of growth from the scrimmage and jamboree leading into the first game. We felt like there was a ton of improvement.”
You don’t have to be a high-level football scout to realize Lewis has the intangibles to be an elite quarterback for the Eagles. Coach Liner himself has coached multiple division I quarterbacks, it’s safe to say Lewis is on the right track.