For most players, stepping into the starting quarterback role comes with plenty of pressure. For Marion senior Jymer Raymer, it also comes with an opportunity he has been waiting for his entire life.
Raymer is set to take over the Warriors’ offense this fall, and one of the things he is looking forward to most is sharing the field with his younger brother at wide receiver.
“Most excited definitely about going into a season with my brother as a wide receiver,” Raymer said. “Being able to play with him and translate our entire childhood of throwing routes and knowing what his strengths are, it’s a blessing as a quarterback to know what he’s going to do every play.”
The Warriors also enter the season with a new coaching staff and a fresh offensive philosophy. After years of relying heavily on the running game, Marion is expected to feature a more balanced attack that gives Raymer more opportunities to throw.
“We also got a new coach, and he runs a different offense compared to what has been run for many years,” Raymer said. “He wants to shift away from the 9-to-1 run-pass ratio we used to run and get into a little passing game this year.”
Raymer is equally motivated to prove that Marion can continue to compete despite significant changes.
“I am also excited about how we can prove to our community that we still will be good,” he said. “I think everyone is doubting our team after losing coaches and good senior players.”
The Warriors have spent the offseason preparing for that challenge through a demanding summer program. Players dedicated themselves to the weight room while emphasizing explosiveness through box jumps, hurdle hops, broad jumps and jump rope workouts. Marion also competed in weekly 7-on-7 scrimmages in Hillsboro against Hillsboro and Smoky Valley and attended team camp to build chemistry with both returning players and newcomers.
The coaching staff also kept practices competitive with a unique summer points competition. Senior captains drafted mini-teams that earned points by attending workouts, completing community service projects, raising money for the program, donating to charity and winning fun challenges, including finishing a breakfast pizza the fastest.
Individually, Raymer has focused on preparing his body for the physical demands of playing quarterback. He added weight during the offseason and is working to improve his speed through sprint training and explosive exercises.
“I never have been the fastest person, but it was just fast enough,” Raymer said. “Not sure if ‘fast enough’ will cut it now, so that’s the main priority to improve on.”
Now he is concentrating on mastering the finer details of the position, particularly the short passing game.
“You can’t always throw the deep ball,” Raymer said. “Sometimes it’s just got to be a 5-yard out to advance the ball. If my receivers run good routes, I’ll get the ball to them where they can make plays in the open field, and we can be deadly.”
Although Raymer saw limited varsity action a season ago, he views the experience as valuable preparation. He spent most of last year learning from the sidelines, earned Scout Team Player of the Year honors and received a provisional letterman award while appearing on defense in the season finale.
“To be honest, I was a benchwarmer last year,” Raymer said. “It was a whole lot of watching and learning about the game.”
Now, he hopes those lessons translate into success under center.
More than statistics, Raymer wants to become the leader his teammates need during a season filled with uncertainty.
“My personal goal for the season is to not let the team give up on me or themselves,” he said. “A great way to flip that mindset is to help them believe in themselves and win games.”
