D.J. Shines in Toledo Debut
I've spent the last four high school football seasons watching D.J. Lenehan set record after record playing quarterback for Wilson. When he enrolled at Division One Toledo this fall, I was confident that fans of the Rockets would eventually see the fireworks that I got to witness on a weekly basis. But I had no idea he'd work his magic this soon.
In case you missed what happened on Saturday night, here's a quick recap. After injuries sidelined Toledo's top two quarterbacks, D.J. was thrust into the starting lineup. He became only the 2nd true freshman to ever start a game at quarterback for Toledo. And he certainly made the most of his opportunity. He was the definition of efficiency, completing 19-of-23 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. To throw just 4 incompletions in your first career start at the Division One level is absolutely incredible. But even more impressive was his poise and polish when the pressure intensified.
The Rockets trailed by 12 entering the 4th quarter. I imagine when D.J. saw that deficit on the scoreboard, he probably felt pretty comfortable. After all, the uncanny ability to engineer a comeback was one of his trademarks at Wilson. In fact, the last football game he started was the state championship game in Hershey, when he helped the Warriors overcome a 12-point, 4th quarter deficit to beat Jeannette and claim the crown. How fitting that he'd open his collegiate career by overcoming the exact margin to earn another comeback win.
D.J. led the Rockets to a thrilling, 35-34 win, on Homecoming night in Toledo. With the stands full of Rocket students and alumni, D.J. is already well on his way to winning the hearts of a horde of new fans.
So from all of us at 69 Sports, we'd like to extend a hearty congratulations to D.J. for his smashing collegiate debut. I'm sure it'll be just the first of many magical moments to come.
Jim Vaughn