WINCHESTER — Football has always run in the family for Owen Neal.
The junior quarterback, who’s entering his third season as James Wood’s starter, has followed in both his father and brother’s footsteps as a local signal caller. His dad, Jared Sr., is a former quarterback for Shenandoah University and now coaches James Wood’s offensive and defensive line. His brother, Jared, was the Colonels’ starter in 2021 and 2022, and now plays baseball at Shenandoah.
Owen said his connection to the quarterback position partially stems from “development at a young age,” adding that working out with his brother and watching him play “helped get my fundamentals down.”
Beyond his family’s influence, Neal said the responsibility that comes with playing quarterback is another reason he’s remained committed to football.
“[It’s] just in the leadership role, just being in charge of everything,” Neal said. “Having the feeling that the offense runs through me, and having the confidence in myself, that’s what makes me really want to be the quarterback.”
Last season, James Wood’s offense certainly ran through Neal. Showcasing his versatility, he threw for 1,568 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also adding 724 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He was a Northwestern District Honorable Mention selection.
With Neal at the helm, the Colonels went 7-4 and reached the Region 4D quarterfinals, securing their best record since 2021.
Whether Neal was eyeing his receivers downfield or running the ball himself, he relied on his offensive line to protect him. A quarterback often places a lot of trust in his blockers, and that’s especially true for Neal with his dad coaching from the sidelines.
“If I’ve got any questions with the blocking, it’s nice to just have him at home so I can get anything cleared up,” Neal said. “So the following day at practice, we can run it really clean.”
Head coach Todd Wilson said having a quarterback in tune with his protection is beneficial, saying that Neal has at times helped direct traffic when the team has “changed some blocking schemes up a little bit.”
He said seeing Neal develop into a “vocal leader” on and off the field has been rewarding, as Neal experienced plenty of growing pains during a freshman season where he was “thrown into the fire.”
“It’s hard to ask a freshman to be the voice or captain of the team,” Wilson said. “He wasn’t very big that freshman year … we didn’t run him hardly at all his freshman year. We didn’t want to put all that on his plate as a young quarterback.”
Neal helped the Colonels double their win total from two to four in 2023, before taking a big leap last fall.
James Wood isn’t expecting to sink back down any time soon, especially considering its offensive continuity.
In addition to Neal, the team is returning its top three wide receivers from last season. Neal said this has allowed the offense to run smoother than ever throughout the summer.
“Just the extra year of experience, just timing and how they run their routes [has come easier],” Neal said. “It’s just more fundamental, it’s easier to read when they’re going to come out of their break and just timing when the ball needs to be there.”
Though the offensive chemistry is well-established, Wilson said that hasn’t changed Neal’s approach as a leader. If anything, he said it’s only made him more comfortable speaking up and holding teammates accountable.
“He gets on the guys when they’re not executing properly,” Wilson said. “If somebody is running a route slow or not giving full effort, he has zero problems calling him out on it. Guys, I think they respect him because … they know he’s putting in the work. He’s dedicated.”
Throughout his first two years at James Wood, Neal has proved his dedication consistently. He also plays baseball in the spring, yet Wilson said he always shows up for morning lifts to ensure he stays in football shape.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Wilson also put on a lot of weight and muscle since being “not very big” as a freshman — he was 5-9 and 160 pounds that season. Wilson said the team’s preseason testing showed that he’s the “second strongest kid in our program.”
With his commitment unwavering, and his support system strong both at practice and at home, Neal has set himself up nicely for his final two years at James Wood.
He said the pressure of being the focal point of the team is what motivates him, saying he knows his teammates will follow his lead and effort.
“Just starting here for the past few seasons, it gives me the right to hold everybody to a higher standard, and I think people respect me more,” Neal said. “But that also puts more pressure on me to make sure I’m doing things right.”
Neal and James Wood will open their season this Friday at 7 p.m. on the road against Clarke County.
— Contact Joe Tuman at
jtuman@winchesterstar.com
Follow him on X @jtuman21