Riley latest in long line of elite Calhoun quarterbacks

Head coach Hal Lamb watches his Calhoun High School team play football during the 2013 season.

Kaelen Riley

CALHOUN, Ga. -- Athletes are programmed early to ignore pressure and to let outside expectations be somebody else's concern. Just do your job, they're told, and everything else will take care of itself.

Kaelen Riley has heard all that, and on Friday nights the Calhoun High School junior quarterback is a 6-foot-3 package of cool and calm. Don't, however, let that happy-go-lucky persona fool you into thinking Calhoun's latest star quarterback doesn't realize the responsibilities of being the trigger man in Hal Lamb's offense. Riley is, in fact, well aware of those who came before him and the legacy that he's fully intent on extending.

Instead of putting undue pressure on his shoulders, Riley uses it as a reminder to never feel satisfied.

"It really does mean something to me to be a Calhoun quarterback," said Riley, who will lead the Yellow Jackets into the program's seventh state championship game Friday against Washington County. "You never think about the enormity of it, the guys you follow, but becoming one of them is incredible.

"Most people would say there isn't a responsibility or pressure that comes with the position, but there definitely is. You never want to be the one that falls short. Those guys were so great that it's hard to match up, but you never want to quit trying."

Michael Davis came to Calhoun with Lamb in 1999 as his offensive coordinator, and through 16 seasons the quarterback pedigree the two have produced is a who's who list that includes nine all-state players (and Riley is likely to be No. 10). Beginning with Whit Robbins in 2000 through Cody Worley, Tre Lamb, Michael Johnson, Nash Nance, Landon Curtis and Taylor Lamb, Davis' quarterbacks have thrived.

Only Worley, from 2003 to 2005, was a three-year starter, and several were behind center for only one season. Some, like Curtis and Nance, had powerful arms, while others, like Tre Lamb, were able to get more out of their physical games than seemed possible. Davis says they all possess one major trait.

"Number one, they're great kids and every one of them wanted to be the quarterback at Calhoun High School," said Davis, who helped transform the program's offense from a wing-T to a spread attack in 2007. "None of them felt like they were thrown into it, but they all grew into the position. All of them except Nash Nash for one year and Taylor Lamb for two, grew up in the system and wanting to be the quarterback here. Every one of them all have, obviously, talent, but they were all leaders. The kids followed them and believed in them.

"A quarterback here has to be respected, and that means working harder than anyone else and leading by example. We have been fortunate to be able to get to coach kids like that."

Riley remembers watching games at Phil Reeve Stadium as a youngster, and he remembers the game that really lit his fire for the game. He also remembers the guys who built the quarterback legacy.

"The game that really stands out for me was the Carver, Columbus game in 2010," he said of the semifinal game upset of the nationally ranked visitors. "That's the game I always think about when I think about Calhoun football, because it was so amazing.

"As for the quarterbacks, Tre Lamb was unbelievable. I'll never forget the last-second touchdown he threw against Dalton. And Landon Curtis is a friend of mine to this day, and to think a quarterback in today's football could throw 34 touchdowns against two interceptions, which he did, is unbelievable. The greatest quarterback in Calhoun history -- and I think most people would agree with me -- was Taylor Lamb. Just getting to watch him my freshman year, I learned so much."

Riley was a receiver until Calhoun Middle School coach Eric Rigney -- who, like Lamb and Davis, also arrived in Calhoun in 1999 -- thought he had found the second coming of Curtis, the 2010 quarterback who was the Associated Press Georgia player of the year.

"It's always a dream to play quarterback, but I never played it until I was 11 and I didn't play it full-time until I was in middle school," Riley recalled. "Coach Rigney said I reminded him so much of Landon Curtis and he thought I could handle it. After that my dream became a reality."

Friday will be the second championship game for Riley in the past nine months. Also the basketball team's point guard, he led the Jackets to a near upset of nationally ranked Greater Atlanta Christian in the title game last March. On the court he shows the same calm and confidence he has on the football field. It's a big reason Davis and Lamb believe Friday's game in the Georgia Dome won't be too big for him.

"Kaelen is a natural leader," Lamb said. "Quarterback to me is the sport's most important position, and those guys have to be leaders, somebody his teammates respect and want to follow. Like all the guys who preceded him, he's also very smart and he knows how to handle the moment."

Riley, who enters tonight's game with 2,345 yards and 23 touchdowns passing to go with 701 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing, had by far his worst game two weeks ago in the quarterfinals against Elbert County. His throws were off and he had two intercepted along with two fumbles, but the Jackets escaped with a 19-17 win on a last-minute safety.

Instead of hanging his head and seeking excuses, he took responsibility for the poor results and vowed to not let it happen again.

"He was in here early the next day after Elbert County watching film and was ready to go," Davis said. "He's had bad games in both sports, but he never lets it hang over to the next one. He works just as hard in good times or bad.

"He's everything you would want in a quarterback. He falls into that line of great quarterbacks we've had. He plays with confidence, but there's no arrogance. He just wants to get better every game."

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.