The three-year starter for the Quakers has committed to walk-on at William & Mary
Watch Top Football Plays 2015, Episode 9, which features Ted Hefter’s game-winning pass to Mark Chichester as the No. 4 play. (Video by Nick Plum for Synthesis/Koubaroulis LLC / The Washington Post)
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November 3, 2015, 12:00 p.m. — Nearing the conclusion of his legendary tenure with Sidwell Friends, Ted Hefter will be able to look back on his career with pride. When he walks off the field for the last time in the next few weeks, he will be doing so holding every major statistical passing record for the Quakers.
As a sophomore, Hefter shattered every single-season passing mark, as he tossed for 2,869 yards and 30 touchdowns. Now as a senior, the three-year starter continues to expand his own records in every career passing mark as well, as he is approaching the 2,000-yard plateau again this season.
With up to four games potentially remaining in his prep journey, the 6-foot, 195-pound pro-style prospect has thrown for nearly 6,500 yards and 71 touchdowns. He is making a late charge in terms of stats as he has tossed for 660 yards and six scores in the last two weeks.
His eye-popping stats have earned him a walk-on spot with William & Mary in the fall.
Yet, he had almost no quarterback experience prior to being thrust into the starting role as a young sophomore. Although he played Varsity as freshman, he was used primarily as a safety and wide receiver.
“I was a baseball player, I had a good arm, but I had never played quarterback,” Hefter said. “I just love football so much more, so when I translated my arm over to football and started studying the game a little more, I kind of started developing myself to become who I am today.”
It seems football was the right path for the three-year captain known for his big arm and unparalleled work ethic. He has led his Washington, D.C. squad to a 5-3 (3-1 MAC) record this season, coming off consecutive appearances in the DCSAA Class A State Championship game during his reign.
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His extra work has been critical, as Head coach John Simon and the Quakers tend to put more responsibility on the individual under center than a typical high school team.
“In our offense we put a lot of stuff on the quarterback,” Hefter said, “we do checks at the line of scrimmage, we call plays, and whenever we get into a hurry-up situation, it’s on us.”
Also unlike other prep squads, they go into the hurry-up offense frequently, as it is used both in late-clock situations and when they are trailing. Hefter recalls using the hurry-up for entire halfs and doing all play-calling duties solo at the line of scrimmage.
Hefter studies NFL quarterbacks like Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers, who are both true pro-style, drop-back passers who are constantly changing plays at the line. He tries to emulate what they do with the Quakers.
“I’ve had players come up to me after games and say, ‘what were you saying at the line of scrimmage?’ and I’ve had coaches tells us we are more advanced than anything they’ve played against,” Hefter said.
One of Hefter’s top targets, junior Dylan Greynolds, was also thrown into the Varsity mix at a young age. He too is in his third year as a starter, as he has played wide out since his freshman year. Thanks to three straight seasons operating together, they have built a great bond on and off the field.
“I’ve put in a lot of work with Ted in the offseason,” Greynolds said, “getting a lot of good chemistry, working out with him in the weight room, running together, it just means a lot that we can actually show it on the field.”
Greynolds has 1,834 career receiving yards and 20 career touchdowns from the hands of Hefter. This season he has 668 yards for eight scores, and hopes to eventually land a spot on a college roster like his friend and mentor.
The 5-foot-9, 155-pound receiver says Hefter was helpful in soothing his nerves as a freshman, and gives the quarterback a lot of the credit for his development and impressive statistics.
“He takes control of games and he really calms everyone,” Greynolds said, “if you drop a pass he’ll be really calm about it and will come back to you the next play to get your confidence back.”
According to Greynolds, Hefter’s drive to be the best and mental approach to the game set him apart.
“Dylan and I have bonded over a love for football and a love for hard work,” Hefter said. “We’ve spent every second of the off-seasons together working on routes.”
Another key contributor to the Quakers’ offensive attack is sophomore receiver Mark Chichester, who has been the primary beneficiary of Hefter’s spike in production the last two weeks. He has 377 yards and six scores in the last two games alone, with 659 total yards and eight total trips to the end zone this season.
“A lot of it goes to our receivers, I throw a lot of short passes and they do a lot of the work for me,” Hefter said.
Despite the numbers, hard work and obvious talent, the recruiting process was difficult for the undersized hurler. He is also admittedly a step-slow for the top collegiate programs.
Yet, he is anxious for the opportunity to display his worth in Williamsburg, Va.
“I’m excited to get there and start proving myself,” Hefter said. “No D-I schools really came to me besides these guys, so I want to show all the other ones they made a mistake and William & Mary was right.”
Hefter, Greynolds, Chichester and the rest of the Quakers close out the regular season Saturday against Flint Hill, before heading into the D.C. playoffs.
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