"Pocket Poise, Moving Throws and a Fire to Win"

Reshard Jevon Hicks Jr

@rashardhicksjr

6'1, 175lbs, Class of 2028

Shoemaker HS, TX

Reshard can stand tall in the pocket and deliver the ball, but he's just as willing to change the picture when a play calls for something more. The Shoemaker quarterback describes himself as a pocket passer who becomes a dual threat when necessary, and that gives him more than one way to attack a defense. He doesn't have to look like a traditional quarterback on every snap to make a throw that matters. He can release the ball from different positions, keep his eyes on what is developing, and use his legs when the opening is there. His game has an electric side to it, but the heart of it is a young quarterback who wants to help his team win.

Reshard says a coach can expect him to give his best, take an honest look at his mistakes, and come back sharper the next time he steps on the field. He's willing to study what went wrong because he knows his decisions affect everyone in the huddle. That's an important part of what separates him: he wants to grow while competing, and he doesn't wait until the season ends to make a change. Each game gives him a chance to use what he learned from the last one, whether that means taking care of the football, finding a teammate sooner, or trusting the play in front of him.

Shoemaker is 1-4, a record Reshard believes doesn't show how good his team can be. They faced difficult games early and missed chances to make the plays that could've changed those results. He doesn't put the whole story on anyone else. With 784 passing yards, 8 TDs and 5 INTs so far, he knows protecting the ball and leading with better decisions are ways he can help his team finish strong. There's disappointment in how the season has started, but there's also a fierce belief that this team has more to show. Rashard is looking at what he can control and taking a big share of the work on himself.

Thursday night against Weiss gave that belief a real test. Reshard completed 16/28 passes for 242 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT, and he felt a change in his game even though Shoemaker didn't get the win. He stopped chasing a perfect night and started playing like himself. That let him settle into the action, trust the throws he saw, and make plays without getting caught up in every mistake. The numbers show a quarterback who kept the offense moving, but what stood out to him was the step he felt he took in how he played.

That matchup had a personal edge, too. Reshard knows several Weiss players from spring and summer 7v7, and he's faced many of them in youth football for years. Jaxson Schad, Jordan Anderson, and Reagan Smith are among the players who have shared teams with him before. They know his game, and he knows theirs, which made Thursday feel like a friendly rivalry with plenty of pride on both sides. When you have competed with those guys and played beside them, every snap has a little more energy. Reshard wanted to meet that moment by trusting his own game, and he came away feeling that he'd moved forward.

The work that led into the game started long before kickoff. Reshard spends time watching film, then gets with his teammates to sharpen their timing and rhythm. A quarterback and his receivers have to trust what each other will do when the ball is snapped, and those extra sessions help them build that connection. For Weiss specifically, he and his coaches studied the defense and walked through their plan together. They saw matchups they liked and looked for ways to use what the film had shown them. It was preparation meant to give Reshard a clear idea of where he wanted to go with the football while leaving him ready to respond when the defense changed its look.

Before the snap, Reshard checks the safeties and looks for signs of a blitz. If he sees pressure coming, he can shift the line or bring the running back into protection. Those decisions help him identify the coverage and know where his first option should be. There's a lot happening in those few seconds, and the work is easy to miss if you are only watching the throw. He's studying who might come after him, who will help keep him clean, and where the defense may leave a teammate open. That mental work gives his arm and legs a chance to make an impact once the play begins.

Reshard's goal for the rest of the season is to win. He's also fueled by the way people still speak about his potential without putting him in the conversation with the top prospects in Texas. He believes the wins will bring that recognition, and he knows he has a hand in earning them. That fire is part of why he keeps going back to the film, keeps working with his teammates, and keeps looking hard at his own play. He's ready to do his part in changing how this season is remembered.

Rashard brings a strong sense of ownership to a difficult start, and there's something powerful in the way he speaks about his team. He believes in the guys beside him and wants his actions to back it up. His willingness to face hard truths while keeping his confidence gives Shoemaker a voice in the huddle that refuses to give up on what this group can accomplish.

The most compelling thing about Rashard is that his best football is tied to how freely he plays. When he trusts himself instead of chasing perfection, his creativity has room to come alive, and the game opens up for him. That competitive spark, combined with the hunger he has to earn recognition through results, makes the rest of Shoemaker's season worth watching. Stay tuned.