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From the court to the gridiron, CK’s Fuchs is back

From the court to the gridiron, CK’s Fuchs is back
By JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Before this year, Jordan Fuchs was best known for catching alley-oop dunks. The Christ the King junior is now pulling down touchdown passes as well.

“I tell my quarterback when we get it in the red zone to just lob it up in the corner and I’ll just go up and get it,” Fuchs said.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound wide receiver is transforming into one of the CHSFL’s most productive players. Fuchs has 15 catches for 286 yards and league-leading five touchdowns in five games. His longest grab is for 42 yards and he caught two TDs each in losses to Bishop Ford and St. John the Baptist.

This is Fuchs; first season playing high school football after playing with the Baldwin Bombers youth team growing up.

“He basically jumped over a guy and took it out of his hands,” Royals football Coach Chris Higgins said of a 26-yard TD reception Saturday against the Cougars.

Fuchs, a starting forward on the school’s basketball team, got the bug to return to the gridiron from watching the NFL and also his peers the last two years. CK boys’ basketball Coach and athletic director Joe Arbitello thought it was great that he wanted to play another sport and had no reservations regarding him possibly getting injured. Higgins saw the potential immediately because of his size and athletic ability.

“The second full practice I got a few hits out of the way and I started to feel comfortable,” Fuchs said.

His success has been bittersweet so far. Fuchs, who also maintains an above-90 average in the classroom, is a competitor and used to winning with the Royals basketball team, which has won consecutive CHSAA intersectional Class AA titles and took home the state Federation crown two years ago. CK has yet to win a football game this season.

“It’s tough being on the other side of that,” he said.

Fuchs’ emergence and the move of running back James Coleman to quarterback have added new dimensions to the CK offense. Higgins believes it forces teams to put more players in the defensive backfield and keep double teams away from highly recruited tight end Kalief Joyner.

“The next step is crisper routs,” Higgins said. “Right now he is just a dominant athlete. When he gets the concept of truly learning how to run routs, he is going to be pretty good.”

The Long Island native believes his basketball background has helped him on the football field as far as footwork and the hand-eye coordination needed to catch the ball in traffic. Football’s physicality, he believes, will help him to better take contact when getting fouled driving to the basket and bring an added toughness. He has interest to play college basketball from Florida, Ohio State, Kansas, Boston College, Rutgers and Columbia, among others.

“I think it will add another dimension to his game,” Arbitello said. “With his athleticism he already has, coupled with the toughness of football, he will have a big year.”

Added Fuchs: “When I drive to the basket the contact really won’t feel like anything.”

One thing that’s certainly been felt is his impact on the school’s football program. Next he wants to starting turning his personal success into wins for the team.

“We are trying to get better and better every week,” Fuchs said.