PALM BEACH GARDENS – Joey Schmidt has been waiting for his senior moment to shine over the past several months.
Ever since his junior season ended at Benjamin, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound defensive has been hard at work in efforts to improve his craft exponentially. Schmidt did not let the COVID-19 pandemic slow his level of determination and hunger for greatness, something that his team has come to appreciate.
“Luckily for me I got a home gym for Christmas,” Schmidt said. “I got it just in time for COVID, so I was in able to get in better shape doing push pull legs until LA Fitness opened up again.”
Schmidt and fellow senior lineman Andrew Weisz (Yale commit; No. 8 overall player in Palm Beach County) are the team leaders this upcoming season. This is much welcomed, since Benjamin’s roster is very deep this year with over 60 players on it.
“It feels like yesterday when Andrew and I were freshman,” Schmidt said. “But yeah, the younger guys are really buying in. They respect us and understand our goals as a team. The JV looks very strong as well.”
The addition of junior offensive lineman Mason Thomason has helped to enable Schmidt’s position move from defensive tackle to defensive end. Thomason transferred to Benjamin from Dwyer in the offseason.
“Last year I was an O-line starter, as well as part time D-lineman,” Schmidt said. “I had a great season on both sides of the ball. With the addition of Mason and Dalton at center and right tackle, we can move our old center or left guard and have me full-time in defense, as well as an H-back and backup O-lineman.”
Speaking of this past season, Schmidt recorded 53 tackles, 7 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles in 12 games played. His best game was in Week 5 against John Carroll Catholic, when he registered 11 pancakes on offense, while adding 5 tackles and 1 forced fumble in a 21-7 win.
Schmidt’s junior season served as a precursor to what would happen on the college recruiting front. At this time, he has garnered four offers from Findlay, Graceland, Keiser, and St. Thomas.
“It’s not much so far, but I have received a few,” Schmidt said. “I’m talking to a few Division 1 schools right now. We’ll see what happens.”
Going back to this upcoming fall season, Schmidt and his Benjamin teammates were supposed to start their 2020 campaign yesterday (Sept. 17) at Cardinal Newman. But due to health concerns, the Benjamin-Cardinal Newman game has been postponed until further notice.
“We were just all upset our Cardinal Newman game got cancelled,” Schmidt said. “If anything, this proves how careful we need to be to play football.”
Instead, Benjamin’s season opener will be next Friday night (Sept. 25; 7 p.m. kickoff) at American Heritage (Delray Beach).
This game will be a watershed moment for both teams, as they mourn the loss of Stallions head coach Brian Sheridan, who passed away earlier this week.
“Since we can’t play Newman, we’re now looking forward to American Heritage,” Schmidt said. “On another note, it’s really sad news to hear the passing of Coach. Sheridan. It’s super sad.”
NOTE: Schmidt is currently ranked as our No. 5 defensive end and No. 37 overall player in Palm Beach County. We are looking forward to a great season ahead for the Benjamin team leader.
“I have really big goals, personal and team goals this year,” Schmidt said. “I can’t wait to show everyone. You can expect to see a dominant performance from me this year.”
