WEST PALM BEACH – Stenton Quaye is coming into his own as a linebacker.
In his junior year, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound rising star had 70+ tackles (28 TFL’s), 14 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery for the King’s Academy Lions. Of the 10 games he played, his best was against North Broward Prep in Week 3, when he tallied 12 tackles, 4 sacks (3 TFL’s), and 1 forced fumble to help his team score a 56-26 win.
Quaye took a look back at this past season, which ended with a 5-5 record for King’s Academy.
“For me, I think it was definitely disappointing for our season as well as my personal season,” Quaye said. “But I think it works in our favor because our team has been under the radar, as well as myself personally. I think the way we’ve handled the offseason is going to make it very hard to stop me and my team. We are definitely going to surprise a lot of people, and I’m definitely looking forward to redeeming myself after last season.”
Over the past several months, Quaye has experienced a new normal in his workout regimen. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to operate in a different way, he has done his best to make it work.
“I just had to realize that if I’m not working harder than everyone else, I’m not going anywhere,” Quaye said. “So about a week after school was cancelled, I started sprints on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I increased the amount by two everytime I went out. I eventually got the schedule to alternate what workouts I did everyday, including upper body, lower body and core. And then at the end of every day, I’d get some footwork and position work. It wasn’t too hard to keep my spirits up because I have my friends, my family, and my teammates all helping each other out.”
Quaye’s positive outlook, overall production from last season, and size have all helped in how his college recruiting process is going right now. He has a total of five offers to date, including the likes of Dayton, Findlay, Hamline, Notre Dame College, and St. Thomas.
“It’s definitely been both fun and a little stressful at some points,” Quaye said. “But I feel like I’m in a good position. I think a great first couple of weeks of the season would set me up nicely with some great schools.”
Quaye, who made his debut in our Top 50 this weekend, is currently ranked as the No. 35 overall player in Palm Beach County. He’s also at No. 3 in our outside linebacker ratings.
Moving forward, Quaye is all about doing what he can to further improve himself and the team around him. He’s looking forward to a great bounce back season at King’s Academy.
“We all want to go undefeated and go to states, which after we talked about it we know is possible,” Quaye said. “But I’d definitely like to become a better leader and help the players and the staff reach all our goals on and off the field. Personally, I’d love to show my versatility and prove myself as an elite pass rush pass defender and run defender that can lead the team the right way.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Shots by Dan
