BELOIT — He’s destined for Division I college football, but first West Branch senior quarterback Grady Hirst wants to stack some classic memories with his Warrior teammates at the prep level.
Hirst, who is 6-3 and 200 pounds, is a returning Division IV All-Ohio quarterback who committed to Youngstown State this spring. He also had visits to Toledo, Western Michigan and Valparaiso before committing to the Penguins.
“He’s just a great kid and I’m really grateful to coach him,” said West Branch head coach Tim Cooper, who has a 44-7 coaching record and has led the Warriors to six consecutive outright Eastern Buckeye Conference crowns. “It’s the fine details with everything he does. His throwing motion, his drops — everything he does, he’s very critical of it. He’s actually helped elevate our quarterback room because of his expertise in that area.”
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Hirst, who is a dangerous passer and runner, threw for 2,660 yards and 25 touchdowns last autumn, but also rushed for 533 yards and seven scores when the Warriors advanced to the third round of the Division IV postseason playoffs.
“I just think my arm strength is really good,” said Hirst of his No. 1 attribute. “Putting it where the receivers need it. My legs I can also use when I need to, but my arm is probably my best (strength).”
“It’s just another element (having a quarterback who can run),” said Cooper. “He does a great job keeping his eyes down the field as well, but just to have that addition in the run game (is big) — especially down on the goal line area — getting that extra plus-one and reading the backside end on a variety of different runs. Those are huge and that helps our O-Line and box play.”
Hirst comes from a long line of ultra-successful West Branch quarterbacks. Last fall, he became the 21st West Branch signal-caller to be named to the All-Ohio team in the school’s 66-year history. That includes some multiple-year All-Ohioans at the position. He takes special pride in joining that elite fraternity.
“It’s awesome to be named in that group,” said Hirst. “There’s a bunch of great guys there.”
“With 21 All-Ohioans, he fits right in with that crowd,” lauded Cooper.
Cooper said his talented signal-caller, who sports a 3.6 GPA, is a true student of the game — on and off the playing field.
“I think it’s just his desire to be great,” opined the West Branch mentor. “He has a terrific work ethic and he believes in everything we do as a program — from the weight room to the conditioning, to the schematics we put in place. When he’s getting his work in, he’s always bringing a couple receivers to get their work in. He’s always pushing guys and holding them accountable, which is sometimes hard for high school kids to do, especially with their friends, because you want to be the cool kid and you want everyone to like you. Those are uncomfortable situations and he’s comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Hirst, who enters his second season as the Warriors’ starting helmsman, knows gaining experience while playing in key league and playoff games last season will only help in his progression as the Warriors return a mix of returning receivers as well as some new faces.
“I’ve got a new group of guys this year, but they’re great,” he remarked. “They love to put in the work and are just a great group of guys.”
Hirst, who made several official visits to Mid-American Conference schools last fall, committed to Youngstown State, which plays in the rugged Missouri Valley Conference, this spring. He said the decision was easy for him because of a family tie-in there.
“My dad actually went there, he didn’t go to play sports, but he went there, so they reached out to me to come to spring practice,” noted Hirst. “I just loved it and really connected with those guys. It’s a great staff up there and I love (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach) (Mike) Yurcich.”
Cooper said Hirst’s decision to stay local is great for his family as well.
“He’s a family kid,” explained Cooper. “He likes to be around his family, a great family, and his (sister) Eliza played for us a couple years ago and Mr. and Mrs. Hirst are great supporters of our program and supporters of West Branch and both graduated from here as well.”
Hirst said his parents as well as his coaches have been paramount in his success.
“Any time I need any quarterback lessons my parents are always willing to pay for it and take me anywhere,” he noted. “And my dad will go throw with me any time I need to, and my mom would even offer (to catch passes). And Brock Hillyer, who was actually a quarterback here (has helped). He coached me since I was a freshman and he’s at UConn (as a coach) now, but I’ll still send him videos and he’ll reply to me. And I threw with Mount’s starting quarterback Mikey Maloney and he’s helped me out too. And coach Cooper is always giving me pointers too and he’s worked with a bunch of great guys and he knows what he’s doing.”
Hirst says his success wouldn’t be possible without a stellar offensive line he has in front of him and a bevy of talented pass catchers at his disposal.
“I’d like to say thank you to my offensive line,” praised Hirst. “Jackson Shinn, Grady Rockwell, Travis Hoy, Spencer Barrett and Tyler Sprowl, they just do a great job. And my receivers, any time I want them to catch, even when it’s windy or raining, they’re always out here and my running backs they love going out to catch passes but they’ll protect me when they need to.”
Hirst said he also loves playing for Cooper who is a great motivator and offensive mind with his version of the Air Raid offense.
“He (Cooper) is a hype man,” smiled Hirst. “He’s serious when he needs to, and he’ll yell, but at the end of the day he loves us all and just wants the best for us.”
Cooper knows Hirst and YSU is a perfect match.
“With YSU, I just think of coach Yurcich and all he’s done with his offensive stuff over the years and I think it’s a great fit,” he observed. “I think that will elevate Grady’s play even more. His ceiling will raise because he’s going there under a great coaching staff. It’s also great to have local kids go to YSU as well.”
Hirst is looking forward to playing at Youngstown State but is totally focused on his senior year at West Branch and making what he hopes will be some big-time memories in his final go-round with his Warrior teammates.
“We want to win it all, but most importantly, I want to make great memories with these guys,” he closed.
The Alliance Review and Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: YSU-bound Grady Hirst hopes more great memories await West Branch football
Reporting by Mike Brown, Special to The Review / The Repository
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By Mike Brown, Special to The Review | USA TODAY Network
