Aug. 9 – Jimmy Sullivan primed for further success with Chargers
David Vantress
Carroll quarterback Jimmy Sullivan takes a shotgun snap as running back Nathan Starks prepares to block during the Chargers’ 35-7 win over Penn on Aug. 4 in a Class 6A Sectional 2 semifinal contest at Penn. Sullivan, who is already attracting attention from major colleges, returns to lead the potent Carroll offense in 2023.
HUNTERTOWN — For rookie high school football seasons, it’s hard to top the sophomore season posted in 2022 by Carroll quarterback Jimmy Sullivan.
After transferring from Homestead, the sophomore helped lead Carroll to the IHSAA Class 6A state finals and a 13-1 record, the best season in school history.
Sullivan put up huge numbers, completing 184-of-284 passes for 2,203 yards with 27 TDs against just seven interceptions. He also established himself as a true dual-threat quarterback, rushing for nine TDs.
In the process, Sullivan started to attract attention from college recruiters.
A lot of attention, actually: According to his feed on X (formerly Twitter), the Charger junior signal caller already has official offers from schools like Minnesota, Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Kent State, Akron and Toledo.
But for Sullivan, college is a ways off. A new high school season beckons, and for Sullivan and his teammates, last year’s taste of the state finals just made the Chargers hungry for more.
Sullivan led the Chargers to a championship this summer at a new 7-on-7 tournament sponsored by Parkview Sports Medicine, and had a busy summer with offseason workouts for Carroll as well as camps.
Sullivan will have a few new targets to throw to in 2023, but the junior is ready to roll. “We’ve got some size and some speed,” Sullivan told KPC Media news partner WANE-TV after the Chargers’ first practice July 31.
Building on last year will be a key goal for Sullivan in 2023. “Last year things were pretty hectic out there,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan plans to spend more time in the film room this year. He added that making it to the state finals in 2022 has elevated Carroll’s already high standards even further.
“That’s the standard now,” Sullivan said.
Carroll head coach Doug Dinan said Sullivan has been instrumental in summer workouts, where the team gets a big head start on fall with installing the Chargers’ offensive and defensive schemes.
“There’s a big carry-over from June and July,” Dinan said. “Jimmy understands the offense, and moving into August, we’re cautiously optimistic as we get ready to start the season.”