Passing grade

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — During a mild, sunny, breezy Thursday, with the constant beat of rap music pulsating over the public-address system, Ryan Montgomery made a statement.

That statement came during 7-on-7 passing drills, the final exercise in the Elite 11 three-day finals at Mira Costa High School. That statement expressed more than physical skill. It conveyed emotional growth.

“He started to look like he might get down on himself some, and he picked himself back up,” said former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, a commentator for Fox Sports. “People might take this as a negative thing, but every quarterback gets down on himself at some point, and the hardest thing is to pick yourself back up. He did that.

“He found a way to channel that energy. I was super impressed with how he progressed. When he got out to 7-on-7, where it’s real football defense with wide receivers you don’t know, which is super difficult, he lit it up, right?”

As a result, the Findlay High School standout could become even more potent this upcoming season, his final one before he heads to the University of Georgia.

Last year as a junior, Montgomery completed 258 of 376 passes for 3,377 yards and 38 touchdowns while running for 257 yards and 10 more touchdowns in 46 carries.

The Trojans shared the Buckeye Division championship in the Northern Lakes League, and Montgomery earned The Blade’s award as its football player of the year.

Day 1 of the finals consisted of quarterback drills, while Day 2 featured a pro day and accuracy contest.

During the 7-on-7 drill Thursday, Montgomery faced defenders from one local high school while throwing to receivers from a different local high school.

He completed 13 of 22 passes in the event with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

“It was putting me in some uncomfortable positions but, honestly, I felt comfortable out there,” he said. “I knew where I was going to go with the ball. I knew what the defense was doing. The game was really slow for me.

“Obviously, it’s been tough not knowing these receivers. There were a couple drops out there, a couple bad throws on my end. But you’ve just got to adjust as a quarterback. You’ve got to have that next-play-next-man-up mentality. That’s the biggest thing.”

The drill culminated a camp that featured a full schedule of activities, drills, speakers, and training techniques — including one that emitted a distinctly California vibe.

“Yesterday morning, I got up at 6:45 and did hot yoga,” Montgomery said. “Right after that, we did ice baths and recovery and stuff like that. Honestly, we’d just have meetings up until evening, so we didn’t have much down time at all. It was a lot.”

One of the speakers was Pete Carroll, the former Southern California and Seattle Seahawks coach.

Montgomery described being most impressed “with the way he defined competition,” he said of Carroll. “He said that it means to strive for excellence. Strive for excellence in everything: on the field, in the classroom, at the dinner table with your family. I mean, just everything, every aspect of life.”

Montgomery reinforced a friendship with another Ohio quarterback, Bellefontaine’s Tavien St. Clair, who committed to Ohio State. The pair passed to each other before their respective 7-on-7 sessions, and spoke briefly once the competition ended.

“Me and Ryan have a great connection already,” St. Clair said. “We’re very close. Coming out here was really like checking in and seeing how he’s doing, things like that. I learned a lot from him. His mentality is really strong. His hard work and his determination are something that you can just see from afar.”

Montgomery forged a new friendship with his roommate, Kevin Sperry from Texas, who will attend Oklahoma. How well did they bond?

“I would say, very easily,” Sperry said. “As a person, he’s just easy to talk to. He’s a real humble person.”

When he returns to Findlay for his senior season, Montgomery brings a reinvigorated faith in his own ability.

“I’ve always had the utmost confidence in myself, but I think this just even boosted it a little more,” he said. “I can spin it with the top guys in the country. There’s no drop off there.”

Montgomery learned that being a quarterback means more than winning games and amassing numbers.

“As a quarterback, you’re not just a quarterback of your team,” he said. “You’re really the quarterback of your community. Everybody’s looking up to us in our hometowns, where everyone here is the top dog.

“The most important thing as a quarterback isn’t just playing football at all. It’s in building relationships off the field with everyone. It’s a matter of being as genuine a person as you can be. That’s what really struck me.”