From the cluttered desk...by Dr. David Davis
    A remarkable first year at QB
    He is only 15 years old and his mother takes him to school. He has never had a coke and he doesn't eat fast food. He is an accomplished pianist and he speaks fluent Spanish. He family heritage is Lebanese.

     Sounds like someone who might live in another country, but the fact is, he lives in Friendswood and is the Class 4A passing leader in the Houston area. While he really doesn't say much, he leads quietly and has exhibited that confidence that his fellow teammates have accepted during a nine-game football season with the tenth game the one that will decide their playoff fate.
    Quarterback Jacob Karam has answered all the pre-season questions as the first sophomore who has started for head coach Steve Van Meter who has been the genius behind the high-octane offense that takes the field each game for the past 15 years.
    Van Meter has over 100 victories and he has seen some great quarterbacks come through his program who have gone on to excel at the next level. Friendswood fans know that Van Meter and offensive coordinator Robert Koopman, who is the assistant offensive guru, have done some of the wildest things offensively that anyone has seen.
    Two seasons ago, an offensive play was designed that saw quarterback T.J. Jordan pass the ball to a wide receiver to the left, who in turn passed it back to Jordan while a perfect wall of protection was set up sending Jordan toward the goal line. Once there, Jordan went airborne and flipped across the goal line for the score sending the entire team and Friendswood crowd into a frenzy where you could hear people saying, "Did you see that?" "Unbelievable!"
    It also won the "Play of the Year" on a national football website.
    Jordan is currently at Fordham, Blake Barmore is at Trinity in San Antonio and Jeff Ballard, who owns the FHS season passing record, is at TCU.
    But Karam could be the best ever seen at Friendswood. He enters the final game of the regular season against Texas City needing 160 yards to pass the 2,000 yard mark for the season. He is the only 4A passer in the Houston area that has a legitimate chance to pass that barrier. Only Ballard (2,076 yards) has ever done that in 10 games. Karam currently has 1,841 and needs to have 236 yards to break Ballard's 10 game mark. Ballard led the Mustangs to a 12-1 record his senior year in 2001.
    "Jacob could be my swan song," Van Meter said. "He's light years ahead of where my other guys were as sophomores. He's so focused at this age and he wants to be the best. He has that 'it' that you look for in football players - especially at quarterback."
    One of the unique things about Karam is that he has drawn the attention of a former college quarterback and one that is currently featured every Saturday on television. Former UH quarterback Jimmy Klinger and current Iowa field general Drew Tate (Baytown Lee) have taken Karam under their wing to give him their expertise regarding mechanics and technique.
    Tate left Baytown Lee as the most prolific passer in Texas high school history before some of his marks were passed by a couple of other current signal-callers in Chase Daniels (Missouri/Southlake Carroll) and Graham Harrel (Texas Tech/Ennis). Tate completed 970 passes while at Baytown Lee and threw for 113 career TDs and 12,532 yards during his four years as a starter.
    "He's a drop-back passer, but he's very dangerous on the run," Van Meter said. "He has tremendous mechanics and has a short circular stroke. He also knows how to use his arm strength to zip the ball past defenders who are close to his receivers."
    As a result, junior wide receiver Matt McLaren (45 catches - 738 yards - 7 TDs) has also stepped up to be Karam's favorite target and is ranked No. 2 in the Houston area among 4A receivers. However, Karam has distributed the ball to several other receivers during the 2006 season including Jared Myrick (18 catches - 355 yards and 4 TDs), Pete Sanborn (18 grabs - 177 yards), Hunter Abel (18 catches - 162 yards and 2 TDs  ), and Andrew Weber (10 catches - 168 yards).
    Texas City is a must win for the Mustangs. A loss leaves them at home for the playoffs. The Mustangs are primed and ready to take on the Stingarees in a do or done situation. With Karam at the controls and a strong offensive line in front with skilled receivers on the flank -- Friendswood has the firepower. The defense will need to have their best game of the season. These are the moments that competitors look for in their athletic careers.