2023 Player Spotlight Interview with Newton Hoops from Unioto High School

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Name
Newton Hoops

School
Unioto High School

Class
2024

Positions played
Quarterback

With this being your senior season, how important is it for you to lead your team to the gold ball that comes with winning the Scioto Valley Conference title?

Winning the gold ball is very important. My teammates and I have been through the ups and downs of playing high school football. We were 1 game short of the gold ball last season. The goal is to go 1-0 every Friday night and if we do that we will achieve our ultimate goal of being 10-0!

Staying with this being your final season playing for Unioto, is it important for you to play in one of the All-Star games around that state, like the North vs. South game?

I would love to have the opportunity to get to play in an All-star game. It has always been a goal of mine, and I realize if I want to play in that game It will mean that I have had a successful season and more importantly my TEAM was successful as well.

With this being your senior season, have you approached things differently than you have in the past?

I have always approached every off-season and season with passion but with this being my last one I have tried to embrace and enjoy it even more. I have learned that you can’t take anything for granted. I have been in the gym with my teammates and training every single day to improve my game. We are determined to be great this year and we know the only way we can do that is through hard work.

What is your greatest strength as a football player, along with your biggest weakness?

I think my greatest strength is my work ethic and my mindset of thinking anything is possible. I have always lived by that and I always will. I believe that it has made me the player I am today by just reminding me that there will always be people who try and tear you down and you have to just ignore them and know that you can do whatever you put your mind to. I think my biggest weakness is wanting everything to be perfect. I have done a lot better with this and using the “next play” mentality.

How would your coach and teammates describe you?

I would like to say they would describe me as a competitive leader, who wants to win as well as someone who will sacrifice everything for this team.

In watching some of your Hudl highlights, I noticed that you have an uncanny ability to move to your right, stop on a dime, and find the open receiver. What preparation goes into this that makes it look so easy?

Reps! A ton of reps. We are very big on this in practice. We like to roll out and throw on the run. So we are always practicing stopping to set our feet and make sure we throw the perfect ball on time.

Of all the road games you have played, which stadium have you enjoyed the most?

I would have to say Waverly High School. I feel our team always has great energy when playing there and it’s always a great game. Our fans bring the energy and so do theirs. It’s a great football atmosphere.

Do you feel that you and your teammates are role models for the younger kids who come and watch you play?

Yes, the amount of love we get from our younger kids at our school and in the community is amazing. We try to be around the youth as much as we can and include them so they can feel a part of our team and program.

If you could change one rule when it comes to high school football, what would it be?

I would like to see us being able to practice in the spring like some other states.

What has been your least favorite moment on the football field?

I would have to say when I broke my collarbone my sophomore year. I broke it in week 8 at Paint Valley on the second drive of the game. It sucked. I was rolling out and I get hit as I throw the ball by the linebacker and we both landed right on top of my right shoulder. Right when it happened it felt like a stinger. I was just thinking I’ll be fine I just got the wind knocked out of me and just landed hard. So our trainer comes out and first thing I said was “Get me off the field I’ll be back in a play I’m fine” Well turns out that wasn’t going to happen bc it was snapped in half. So when it just finally sunk in that it was broke I was really disappointed and I felt like I let my team down. But at the same time, I knew I was in great hands with our athletic trainer Phillip Hughes and my orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brian Cohen. Thankfully I was able to recover from my injury and I couldn’t wait to get back as soon as I could. One thing it did for me was it allowed me to appreciate the game even more than I already did. When you have something taken away from you that you love, you end up loving it even more. It also allowed me to learn and understand from a coach's perspective as I was able to be on the headsets and next to my coach for the last two games as I tried to help our backup QB during those games.

Where should the state finals be held?

I 100% think it should be held at Ohio State. I think I am speaking for every kid in Ohio when I say that because I think every kid growing up sees themselves one day playing on that field.

What are your thoughts on 16 teams from each region making the playoffs?

I think it’s a good number of teams, it gets more competition in the playoffs and I kind of get a March Madness type of feeling with so many teams.

What is your favorite movie?

My favorite movie has to be Rocky 4, I just love how Rocky is the underdog and takes down Drago.

What goes on your perfect pizza?

I’ve always been a meat lovers type of guy for pizza but I do have to say pineapple and ham is definitely one to consider for a perfect pizza.

What other sports do you play for Unioto?

I also play basketball

[VetteMan]

I've had the opportunity in the past few seasons to have being able to attend a few Unioto football games. They have always had very loyal and supportive fans at Unioto, both in football and in basketball as well. I can see why Newton enjoys playing against Waverly High School, even though they are members of different conferences, they are very close to one another in distance. There has even been talk or maybe just rumors of possibly Waverly getting out of the SOC-2 conference and joining the SVC conference. Good luck to Newton in your Senior year, hope you have an injury free season. Good interview