Legacy quarterback Matt Lynch (5). (Pam Wagner/CHSAANow.com)
Standing at a solid 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 200 pounds, Matt Lynch, the senior star quarterback for the Legacy, has been very impressive so far this season.
Through six games, he’s led the Lightning to a 4-2 start behind 1,054 passing yards and 17 total touchdowns.
Three times this season, Lynch, a UCLA commit, has thrown for more than 220 yards. In a win over Rocky Mountain, he showed his versatility, accounting for 225 yards of total offense, including 103 on the ground, and three total scores.
It’s that type of production — not to mention a junior season of 1,982 yards of total offense and 22 total touchdowns — that caught the eye of colleges. He’s a four-star prospect according to ESPN.com, and Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com all list him as a three-star recruit.
Matt Lynch. (Ariana Freeman/CHSAANow.com)
Lynch committed to Colorado State prior to his junior season, but decommitted after a coaching change. He pledged to UCLA this past May, and actually just took his official visit there earlier this month.
And while those numbers are eye-popping, Lynch knows he has things to work on in preparation for the next level — including working on his deep ball and reading his receivers better.
Still, he’s focused on his senior year.
“Right now, I’m all Legacy High School,” he said. “Once I’m done with high school, college will come, graduating early. It’s coming fast; I’m just trying to soak it all in.”
Wayne Voorhees, Legacy’s coach, said he’s seen growth in his quarterback this season.
“He’s really starting to come into his game,” Voorhees said. “He’s making the checks when we need him to, and if any pass protection breaks down he’s still able to get the pass off and throw underneath.”
Following a 34-15 win over Poudre last Friday, Legacy has now won two games in a row. Its two losses have come by a combined four points.
There remains work to be done. For instance, Legacy led 27-0 at halftime last Friday, but allowed Poudre to make a game of it.
“We need to work on playing all four quarters and converting on our drives,” Lynch said.
“We need to work on playing for a full 48 minutes, not allowing teams to catch back up getting back in to the game,” Voorhees added. “I think we took a big step forward (against Poudre) but we have to keep that going to get ready for Fossil Ridge.”
For Legacy, and Lynch, three crucial games remain: Friday at Fossil Ridge, Oct. 23 at home against Monarch, and then a date at Fairview to close the regular season.
After that, it’s the playoffs — and a chance at a defining senior season for Lynch.
(Pam Wagner)