Sr. Quarterback Ethan Silcher

Name: Ethan Silcher

Sport: Football

Grade: Senior

Position: Quarterback/Safety

Player’s recent performance: On 10/18: 136 yards passing, 1 TD, 5 total tackles against Northern Valley-Demarest

Recent team results: 10/29: Valley: 7, Ramsey: 21. Valley is 6-3 on the season

Expectations before the season and expectations moving forward:

Coming into the season, Silcher and the team went into each game with the same mentality, go 1-0 every week. Going forward, Silcher hopes to make the best run he can in the playoffs and finish the season off strong.

Coach’s Comment:

“I think [Silcher] has improved every single year, both on and off the field and he has improved as a leader,” Coach Len Cusumano said.

When speaking about Silcher’s ability to play both defense and offense, Cusumano said, “there are not many guys in our league who are able to do that and he is very valuable to the team on both ends.”

Other sports he plays:

Silcher also plays basketball for Coach Al Coleman during the winter. Silcher said he likes basketball better because it is his better sport.

What makes football special?

“Football is like a brotherhood, [with building] memories together in the summer and having a great time,” Silcher said. “It was different this year [without as many restrictions], and the coaches had to have more trust in the players to know the playbook.”

How did he get into playing football?

Silcher had always been a sporty kid and he got into football when he was young. He has been playing with his “brothers” since third grade and has made many memories.

Leadership needed while being a quarterback:

“There’s definitely leadership required to take place,” Silcher said. “You need to act as a leader for your offense and your team as a whole. You need to make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to do, take a step back when things aren’t going too well, make sure that everyone is focused, and [be] ready for the next play.”

Coach’s impact on him:

“They do a great job getting us what we need to do during the game, having a great game plan,” Silcher said. “If we execute [it], we will win.”

Thought on coming back from an ACL injury:

“I just knew that I had to outwork everyone because it’s tough,” Silcher said. “I knew I had to work harder than everyone else, and I had to get back where I was.”

His leadership on the field:

“In big things like that, I just got to do my job,” Silcher said. “I also have to trust my offensive line and my wide receivers. If we all do our job, it will be a very successful evening when we play on Friday nights.” 

Silcher’s favorite pro athlete:

Giannis Antetokounmpo

What are his future plans?

“I’ll probably play some club sports in college, maybe try to get on the basketball team if I can,” Silcher said. “[I] just want to have fun in college and get good grades.”

Do you have any sport superstitions?

“I always wear the same undershirt under my pads in every game.”

His favorite sports team:

The Las Vegas Raiders

His pre-game meal:

“This year, I have penne vodka with breaded chicken.”

How he earned the starting job:

“My mentality was just to beat out the other guy, [just] knowing the simple stuff and not making simple, mental mistakes”

Silcher has started every game this year.