In their own words: QHS wide receivers break down best parts of their record-setting unit

QUINCY — Four weeks into the Western Big 6 Conference football slate and nothing has changed.

The Quincy High School wide receivers still top the statistical charts.

Adon Byquist, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior, leads the WB6 in receptions (20), receiving yards (407) and receiving touchdowns (5) in conference games. Tykell Hammers, a 6-foot, 185-pound junior, has matched Byquist with 20 receptions, is tied for second in receiving touchdowns (4) and sits third in receiving yardage (299).

Caeden Johannessen, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound junior, also has four receiving touchdowns and is fourth in the league at 15.9 yards per catch. All three are in the top seven in the WB6 in scoring with QHS running back Jeraius Rice Jr. topping that list with 12 touchdowns and 72 points in conference play alone.

And don’t forget Jack Mettemeyer, the 6-foot, 195-pound senior who has nine touchdowns among his 33 career receptions and gives record-setting junior quarterback Bradyn Little another weapon at his disposal.

It helps explain why Little has thrown for 1,736 yards and 25 touchdowns during the Blue Devils’ 6-0 run, with 1,192 yards and 18 touchdowns coming in four conference games.

Each wide receiver is unique and each brings a different strength to the field. They all are in sync with Little, but are they in sync with each other? When it comes to the best and worst parts of practice and what makes Little’s passes so catchable, they are in agreement. When asked who is the fastest, the smartest, the best route runner or the best smack talker, there was some debate.

So we gave the wideouts the chance to describe their unit in their own words. Here’s what they had to say:

Who has the best hands?

Byquist: Tykell.

Hammers: Me.

Johannessen: I’ll give it to Tykell, but I’m up there. I’m right behind him.

Mettemeyer: Tykell.

Who is the fastest?

Byquist: I think I am.

Hammers: Adon probably.

Johannessen: Tykell.

Mettemeyer: Ah, probably Tykell.

Who runs the best routes?

Byquist: Caeden.

Hammers: Me because Caeden has the same two routes.

Johannessen: Me, me for sure.

Mettemeyer: Hmmm, I’ll say Adon.

Who talks the most smack?

Byquist: I’d say I do.

Hammers: Caeden. Definitely. It’s not even close.

Johannessen: Me. No doubt. It looks like Adon or Tykell, but in the game, it’s definitely me.

Mettemeyer: Tykell. I’d say either Tykell or Adon.

Who is the smartest?

Byquist: Jack, definitely Jack.

Hammers: Caeden.

Johannessen: I think Adon because he communicates with Bradyn way better than all of us.

Mettemeyer: Me.

Which practice drill makes you better?

Byquist: Anything working on our hands.

Hammers: 7-on-7 when everyone is in man or press.

Johannessen: Either 7-on-7 or team pass. We get to work on our routes and work on our catching.

Mettemeyer: 7-on-7. That’s really only drill we do.

Which practice drill is the worst to have to do?

Byquist: Probably when we work on blocking.

Hammers: Definitely team pass or team run because we don’t catch the ball. All we do is block.

Johannessen: Anything running. We’re not involved at all.

Mettemeyer: Blocking. I hate it.

What makes Little’s passes so catchable?

Byquist: They’re quick. They’re on you quick.

Hammers: A tight spiral and you there is no such thing as too deep. He’s always going to put it there.

Johannessen: He puts it where you need it and puts it in the best spots to be able to catch it.

Mettemeyer: He just puts it in the right place and it’s a perfect spiral most of the time.

What is the best catch you’ve ever made?

Byquist: I’d probably say the Galesburg catch after I dropped one. (Editor’s note: It went for a 16-yard touchdown.)

Hammers: There’s two. One against Chatham (Glenwood) last year in the playoff game and the post route against QND in our season opener. (Editor’s note: He caught a 25-yard touchdown pass against Chatham and a 63-yard touchdown pass against QND.)

Johannessen: They are both this year. Either the QND toe tap or the Galesburg toe tap. Those were two pretty good catches. (Editor’s note: Those catches were a 15-yard touchdown catch against QND and a 25-yard touchdown grab against Galesburg.)

Mettemeyer: Probably in Alton when I head-topped this kid for a touchdown. I had two good catches in that game. I head-topped him and I had a one-handed grab. (Editor’s note: He scored on an 18-yard touchdown pass.)

What is your favorite route to run?

Byquist: A post route.

Hammers: A go route. It’s easy when you can physically beat someone with speed.

Johannessen: A corner. Either a post corner or a corner route. Those are my main routes so I have to get good at those.

Mettemeyer: Probably an out route.

What does it mean to play a part in a record-setting passing attack?

Byquist: It makes me proud. It makes me proud to be a Blue Devil.

Hammers: It means the world. Your QB is a generational talent. You have generational talent at wide receiver, so you just get to do your thing.

Johannessen: It just shows we are some of the best receivers and we have the best quarterback in the state. We just get to prove that.

Mettemeyer: It means a lot. I help out with some of that, but it’s mostly the other guys. When I get my opportunities, I try to make stuff happen.