Eagles thriving with pass-happy offense
By JOSE NEGRON
jnegron@yourmvi.com
As Max Rocco prepares to take a snap, whether it be in practice or in a game, he often looks to his left, glances to his right and feels at ease.
Backed by a strong offensive line, Rocco acknowledges the plethora of viable weapons he has in his arsenal at Serra Catholic.
His confidence in throwing their way never wavers.
“I trust every one of my receivers on the field,” Rocco said during practice Wednesday. “I have a good connection with all of them, which is obviously a really good thing for our offense.”
Entering his senior season and third year as Serra Catholic’s starting quarterback, Rocco is at the forefront of an aerial attack that could be problematic for opposing defenses in Class 2A.
In leading the Eagles to an appearance in the WPIAL 2A semifinals a year ago, Rocco completed 64 of his 111 pass attempts for 1,102 yards and 15 touchdowns. He averaged 13 completions per game along with 222 passing yards per contest.
“With the experience, I feel like I’ve progressed as a quarterback and as a leader,” Rocco said. “My sophomore year I wasn’t at my best and last year I felt like I took some big steps. Now, I feel like I have what it takes to be a great player.”
While the play of Serra’s veteran field general has evolved since being named the starter at the beginning of his sophomore campaign, Rocco hasn’t done it alone.
Last season, classmates Terrell Booth and Jayvon Campbell-Holt were among his top targets. They each finished with 21 receptions, while Booth led the team with 427 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Campbell-Holt compiled 388 yards and finished with five scores.
“We’ve been playing together for three years, so our chemistry with Max has grown over that time,” Campbell-Holt said. “We saw what that chemistry did for us last year.”
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