Quarterback living a sweet dream - #lakewoodnews

I'm sure Judd Erickson sometimes feels like he is sauntering away from a sweet dream when he walks off the football field.

Erickson is Mountain Vista's senior quarterback in the Golden Eagles' spread, hurry-up offense. He throws an average of 41 passes a game.

He leads Class 5A quarterbacks with an impressive 2,168 yards and 23 touchdowns. He played only the first half in Vista's 46-0 romp over Aurora Hinkley on Oct. 7 at Aurora Public Schools Stadium, but still passed for 205 yards and three TDs.

"It's amazing," Erickson said. "I mean every quarterback dreams of it and with the skilled receivers we have and the offensive line that can hold up in pass pro(protection), it's unreal."

The 6-foot-4, 205 pounder who still hasn't drawn a lot of attention from college recruiters, credits the coaching staff and his teammates for his success this season. Still, he did pass for 2,174 yards in the 2015 season with 20 TDs.

Vista offensive coordinator TJ Rubley illuminated that Erickson is bigger and stronger so his arm strength is up probably 30 percent. He's running the offense better and is more comfortable in the pocket.

"He gets to throw the ball a lot but he has to get us in the right play," said Rubley, who was a quarterback at the University of Tulsa and was on five pro teams, including the Denver Broncos. "If he doesn't have those abilities, he doesn't get the ability to throw the ball.

"He has to have accuracy. He's throwing a lot with five in the box. This isn't easy football. A majority of his yards have come against difficult coverages."

Erickson, who could pass for 3,600 yards if he continues at his current pace, claims that running the offense isn't hard.

"It's not too difficult," he said. "There are a lot of calls on me but our offensive coordinator is incredible and prepares me well each week, so I know what I'm going to see. He makes it easy for me."

Fundraising for McKee family

The Highlands Ranch football family and friends raised $1,663 and the Highlands Ranch TD club contributed another $500 to help support the McKee family for their injured son.

Dylan McKee was a former Highlands Ranch football player who is now a freshman on the Concordia football team. He was injured in an automobile accident along with four other Bulldogs freshman players on Oct. 2 near Surprise, Nebraska.

McKee was still in intensive care last weekend after his second surgery but was improving. He is expected to recover.

McKee's brother Hunter is a senior linebacker on the Falcons football team this season and youngest sibling TJ is a freshman player at Highlands Ranch.

Parents Larry and Kelly McKee have been with Dylan since the accident, but Larry returned home briefly to watch the Highlands Ranch game Oct. 7 against Lakewood.

Board passes on basketball mercy rule

The Colorado High School Activities Association's Board of Directors passed on a decision about the mercy rule to the basketball committee.

So there will be no mercy rule for boys and girls basketball this season, which would have created a running clock if a team was ahead by 40 points in the fourth quarter.

Since the Board of Directors didn't vote on the mercy proposal, the basketball committee will discuss the merits and disadvantages of the mercy rule during its Feb. 7 meeting.

If a mercy rule is approved and included in the basketball committee report, then the Legislative Committee would have to approve the decision.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Quarterback-living-a-sweet-dream,236797