Watching from the sideline, there was nothing he could do but stay patient.
Missing games against powerhouse programs in IMG Academy (FL) and Bergen Catholic, with a matchup against Highland in between, NJSIAA transfer rules kept Quayd Hendryx off the field.
After a solid three years at Burlington Township, Hendryx made his Winslow debut against St. Augustine on Sept.19. Three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown proved to be just the beginning.
The ending … well, that was something special.
Playing his final high school game, the Minnesota commit had a night to remember.
Hendryx pulled in two touchdown passes, returned a kickoff for a score and caught an important conversion pass as No. 5 Winslow held off No. 8 Ramapo, 34-21, in the NJSIAA/Xfinity Group 4 state final at Rutgers on Sunday.
The title is the second straight for Winslow (12-2), which closed out the season with an 11-game winning streak. The Eagles most likely don’t win without the contributions of No. 5.
“That quote is real, big-time players shining in big-time moments, and that’s what I did here tonight,,” said Hendryx, who caught five passes for a career-high 165 yards – with his touchdown catches covering 88 yards in the second quarter and 20 yards in the third.
“I didn’t care that we’re in the stadium. I didn’t care that it’s the state game. This is another game. It’s my last high school game, so I wanted to go out the right way and then be able to win with my brothers.
“It was kind of a matchup type of game. Whoever was hot, that’s who’s going to get the ball; whoever we can lean on to get it done. That’s what we did today, and tonight it was me. Any other night it’s (Nyqir Helton) ‘Boom,’ TJ. We have a great receiver corps and we all want to see each other win. At the end of the day, that’s just how a team wins.”
His 87-yard kickoff return gave Winslow a 12-7 halftime lead. He also punted three times, averaging 39.7 yards, and had one carry for six yards.
“He does what all the best players do when the lights get bright – he shows up big time,” Winslow coach Bill Belton said. “We needed him tonight and he made a bunch of plays for us.
“The biggest thing for him is just taking advantage of his opportunities, and then wanting to be coached. He did that and got better as the year went on. I think he’s a hell of an athlete, great receiver.”
All-State junior quarterback Jalen Parker targeted Hendryx 10 times in the game.
“Q went off today. He was just winning his one-on-ones for us like he always did all season,” said Parker, who became the state’s career leader in TD passes (107), breaking the mark of 105 set by Devin Leary of Timber Creek in 2017.
“Quayd is a factor in our pass game. When (Nyqir Helton) is open, he gets the ball. When Quayd is open, he’s just dominating. (Helton) usually gets double-teamed, so when Quayd gets his one-on-ones with just a corner or a safety, I’ve got to trust him to get the ball.”
Hendryx finished his one and only season in green and white with 43 catches for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns. More importantly, a state title.
“When I got here, they said they’re going to work hard, stay with me and I’m going to get one,” Hendryx said. “They kept on saying, I’m going to get one. Even through the hard times, I’m going to get one. So I think that’s really what made me keep on going.
“At the end of the day, they just want to see me win because they already got it done. After the game, they all ran to me, gave me a hug and said we got it done for you.”
In three years at Burlington Township, Hendryx had 91 catches for 1,244 yards and 14 touchdowns. His best came as a sophomore, when he had a stat line of 50-782-9.
Prior to Sunday, Hendryx’s single-game best was seven catches for 141 yards and a touchdown.
The opponent? Winslow.
“For myself, I’m definitely proud,” Hendryx said. “I came a long way and it was hard last year. I got hurt, so I had to get back; I had to recover.
“I came here and all I thought about was winning. I worked hard every day. I made great catches and I just think that my hard work shows. It definitely did tonight.”
