NCS Senior of the Year
NSIMBA WEBSTER, QB, DEER VALLEY
By ERIC HE, ARCHBISHOP MITTY
Prep2Prep.com
Even as a 10-year-old competing in a Pop Warner league, Nsimba Webster knew he had a special talent for playing football.
Nowadays, that talent is present for the world to see. The senior quarterback for Deer Valley High School (Antioch) finished his
high school career with a season to remember, throwing for 2,026 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushing for 1,544 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Those incredible numbers and his spectacular season made him Prep2Prep’s choice for the North Coast Section Senior Player of the Year.
“It feels great,” Webster said of the honor. “This year I felt like I really stood out in the whole section.”
Webster cited both his ability and hard work for his success, but it is clear that the 6-foot, 185-pound young man also has
natural athletic talent that few people possess. Simply calling him a dual-threat quarterback would be doing him an injustice.
In addition to a terrific throwing arm, Webster’s ability to scramble and dodge defenders is uncanny.
When asked to describe his style of play, Webster replied: “Very creative. The plays I make….I just have to [improvise] and gain positive yards.”
And gain positive yards he did. Webster averaged 10.0 yards per carry, and to see how, just type his name into YouTube. Watching him almost
seems like a playing a video game in real life. One play in particular has garnered over 80,000 hits and was featured on ESPN’s
Sportscenter.
It was a touchdown he scored against Castro Valley in a 49-21 playoff victory, when he essentially deked out the entire defense, nimbly
maneuvering his way past eight or nine would-be tacklers before finally breaking free for the score.
Time and time again, Webster made highlight-reel plays on his feet that would impress even 49ers' quarterback Colin Kaepernick. But
Kaepernick isn’t necessarily who Webster looks up to.
“Johnny Manziel,” Webster said, referring to the Texas A&M quarterback when asked to compare himself to a pro or collegiate player. “The
way he makes plays and how athletic he is by running and passing, I see myself in him a little bit.”
Both Manziel and Webster have achieved success at their respective levels not only individually, but also from a team standpoint. Manziel turned Texas A&M into one of the top programs in college football, and likewise, Webster led Deer Valley to its best season in four years, and shined in the postseason.
He rushed for three touchdowns and passed for three more in the aforementioned win over Castro Valley, then ran for another three scores and
156 yards in a 67-44 victory against James Logan. His season came to an end against a powerhouse De La Salle team, but not before Webster
scored all four of his team’s touchdowns in a valiant effort.
Webster is still somewhat uncertain about his future. He has not decided on which college he will be attending this fall, although he
has offers from Portland State and Sacramento State, both of which offer Division I football programs.
One thing that Webster is sure of, though, is his ultimate desire to play in the NFL.
“That’s a goal I want to achieve.”
Also considered: Harris Ross, RB, Pittsburg; Joe Mixon, RB, Freedom; Andrew Zolintakis, QB, Campolindo; Drew Anderson, QB, Miramonte;
Marcus de la Pena, RB, San Ramon Valley; John Velasco, RB, De La Salle; Blake Bierwith, RB, California; Morgan Mahalak, QB, Marin Catholic;
John Porchivina, RB, Casa Grande; Adarius Pickett, RB/CB, El Cerrito; Sumner Houston, DL, De La Salle; Larry Allen, OL, De La Salle;
JaJuan Lawson, QB/LB, Casa Grande; Derik Calhoun, LB, El Cerrito; Jalen Harvey, DB, El Cerrito; Manny Wilkins, QB/P, San Marin.
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