ANDERSON — Tyson Harley seems to have picked things up rather quickly.
The former Mt. Vernon quarterback, now starting as a freshman at Anderson University, is helping lead the Ravens to places they haven’t seen in nearly 15 years.
Four weeks into the NCAA Division III football season, the Ravens are 3-1 for the first time since 2005.
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Harley is a big reason why those wearing orange and black are smiling from ear to ear on Saturday afternoons.
“I’ve been around a lot of good quarterbacks, including some All-Americans during my time (as an assistant coach) at Franklin College,” second-year Anderson head coach Steve Rock said. “Tyson, as a freshman, shows some of those same signs to be extra special. If he continues to stay humble, work hard and stay in the system, he has a chance to be real good in a year or two, and he’s already good now.”
Rock likes Harley’s style.
The first-year quarterback is confident in his ability but not cocky. He has the attributes his coach likes as the offensive group’s leader.
“He’s a great young man, very coachable,” Rock added. “He’s humble, but he’s got that quarterback moxie that you have to have. As an 18-year old guy, that’s rare and a good mix.”
Rock first saw Harley when the Marauders played at Pendleton Heights last year for the Arabians’ homecoming. He suggested Ravens offensive coordinator Tim Sanders pursue the Hancock County player.
Harley said he believes he started becoming a better player during his final season at Mt. Vernon. He was part of the first group that was coached by Mike Kirschner, the former state championship coach who took over the Marauders at the start of the 2018 season.
“My senior year, coach Kirschner definitely started getting me right and started helping me with that process (of being a college player),” Harley said.
“Obviously, I’m proud of him,” Kirschner said of Harley. “He’s jumped in, hasn’t missed a beat and has taken off with it. I’m really happy for him. For us coming in, it was a help having a kid with experience. He was raw in some places, but coach (Toby) Jacobs and coach (Phil) Morris did a pretty good job cleaning things up. He’s come a long way from where we were at in the spring of ’18 to where he’s at now, leading the Ravens.”
When Harley arrived at Anderson, he was one of five players competing for the starting quarterback job. He was told the Monday before the season opener against North Park he’d be calling the signals for the Ravens.
“The speed of the game is a lot different, and the guys are a lot bigger, but I am confident in my game and I’ve got good players around me” Harley said.
Harley has done a lot in a short four-game college career.
In the season and home opener at Macholtz Stadium, Harley helped lead the Ravens to the first of two straight come-from-behind wins. The Ravens outscored North Park 22-0 in the fourth quarter for a 34-21 Anderson victory.
Harley went 20-of-29 for 273 yards, two touchdowns with one interception. He had TD strikes of 58 and 63 yards.
The Ravens found themselves in a hole in their Week 2 encounter with Cincinnati Christian, too.
Down 20-0, Harley and the Ravens came back to take a 21-20 lead with 50 seconds left in the third quarter. Harley hit Phenol Williams for a 39-yard touchdown pass for the lead.
Cincinnati Christian regained the lead in the fourth quarter, but with just 46 seconds left in the game, Harley connected with Zac Tallent on a 31-yard game-winning score.
The rookie quarterback was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week for his performance. He finished 31-of-41 for 334 yards and three touchdowns.
“Winning the player of the week was an awesome honor, but it’s not just me,” Harley said. “It’s the line and the receivers that make me look good. I get the credit, and they are doing all the work.”
That’s the humble side that Rock likes to see. He also likes the hard-working side.
“The fourth-quarter comebacks are fun games to play,” Harley said. “But, I want to get it right so we’re ahead in the first quarter and not waiting until the fourth.”
That happened last Saturday when the Ravens opened their HCAC season with a 56-29 win over Defiance.
The Ravens led 36-7 at the half. For the game, Harley went 23-of-30 for 409 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
“This is the most fun I’ve had playing football,” Harley said. “This is the best group of guys I’ve been around.”
It’s been a long time since the players and fans have had this much fun at AU. The program has struggled. Its last .500 season was a 5-5 campaign in 2008. They were 3-7 in 2010. All the other seasons from 2008 until this season have had no more than two wins.
“It’s awesome to play for these older guys that only have had four or five wins,” Harley added. “It’s great to see those guys get excited and win some games.”
They are hopeful, with Harley at the helm, there are plenty more wins to come.
“I’ve been impressed with his knowledge and how he picks things up quickly,” Rock added. “He’s a football guy. He understands it and gets it.”
