Central's Young QB Emerging
Along With Rest Of Blue Devils

Whether it’s getting out early for practice in working on routes with his receivers, studying film with coach Mark Ingram or hitting the weight room to further strengthen his solid frame, Newark Central sophomore quarterback Zahyir Taylor is putting in the time to become the player he knows that he can be.

The first-year starter for the surging Blue Devils (3-2) had his best performance to date in this past Friday night’s 26-7 win at Verona (2-3) as he completed 12-of-15 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns to help pave the way in his team’s top victory to date.

For his efforts, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound QB is the Parisi Fairfield/Sideline Chatter Athlete of the Week.

There is a real youth movement in the Central football program this fall after bidding adieu to 14 seniors last June. Fourth-year head coach Mark Ingram has a number of underclassmen to watch including Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) recruits in junior wide receivers Dishon Jerman and TJ Bailey Jr., plus a number of others to keep an eye on moving forward as they continue to raise their stock among college recruiters, including other junior WRs in Jahir Grandberry and Noah Holliday-Boone and sophomores such as emerging running back Ryan Desauguste, linebacker tackle machine Symeir Sorey and the team’s rising signal caller who is excited to help lead the Blue Devil offense.     

“I’m very excited about each and every day with this team,” said Taylor, a solid B student whose favorite courses are Math and History. “I know that we’re young but we have a lot of chemistry on and off the field.

“We practice hard, including coming out early before practice to work on all our routes and timing, and off the field as well, whether we’re going out for something to eat, playing video games or going to the movies.

“Sure, a major goal is making it back to the playoffs, but our focus remains game-by-game and we never look too far ahead.”

Central visits winless Orange (0-4) this Friday night at Bell Stadium looking for a third straight victory as the young Blue Devils continue to grow while combining with seniors such as standout, veteran two-way linemen Andrew Wheeler and Mamoudou Kamara who are anchors on a solid O-Line, while Wheeler is also a standout at defensive end.

Although just a sophomore, Taylor combines with the junior WR-DB Grandberry, Wheeler and strong senior linebacker Ahmad Williams as the quad captains for this season’s team.

It’s been a progression for the underclassmen combining to an optimum level with the holdover seniors, but the positive dividends are starting to emerge.

“When you lose 14 seniors it can be a bit of a shock for the younger kids moving up and playing varsity football for the first time,” said Ingram, who has directed the Blue Devils to winning seasons the past two seasons after taking over the reins in 2022. “Zahyir is one of those young men stepping in and now beginning to show just how much potential he has.

“He displayed his talents when we won a Zone 6ix 7-on-7 in Teaneck this past summer and he’s continued to work at honing his skills, watching a lot of film, working consistently in his quarterback drills and getting more and more comfortable with all his receivers, and we have a lot of good ones for him to throw to.

“Against Verona, with both Dishon and TJ double-teamed, he did a good job putting the ball where it’s supposed to go, taking advantage of the best matchups out there and finding Jahir (6 receptions for 101 yards and a TD) for key receptions.

“He keeps improving in adjusting to the different defenses he sees while directing our offense and adding balance to our offense which also features a strong running game with Ryan, who is another sophomore that continues to get better each and every week.”

“We love the potential of our offense to do so many positive things with Zahyir as our quarterback and he’s a fine young man who loves to play the game and is serious about learning as much as he can in order to become the best player he can be.”

NOTES- Zahyir’s grandfather, the late Stanley Taylor, who was from South Jersey, was also a quarterback in his youth…Young Taylor, who is a ‘B’ student at Central High School, said his favorite subjects are Math and History. He also indicated that he may one day pursue a career in the real estate industry…Ingram is also the offensive coordinator for the Blue Devils and works closely with his sophomore QB in learning the weekly game plan…Central’s strong O-Line in front of Taylor and company includes Wheeler at left tackle, freshman Ja’syd Caldwell at left guard, senior Louiskenson JN Baptiste at center, Kamara at right guard and junior Davion Cupitt at right tackle…Kamara is the nephew of former Weequahic and Iowa all-state linebacker Amara Kamara, who is also a former high school teammate of Ingram’s with the Indians of coach Al-Tarik White. Amara Kamara’s 2006 Weequahic team captured a Central Jersey, Group 2 title, the season following Ingram’s high school graduation.

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