Do-it-all weapon Jacoby Falor has Arlington primed for big season

Jacoby Falor learned what it’s like to carry full responsibility on the football field a season ago.

Last season, the Arlington senior proved his ability as a team leader who can produce at a high level, whenever needed. The 6-foot-2 Swiss Army Knife slotted into more than a few positions for the Eagles.

Piling up 2,191 all-purpose yards and 25 combined touchdowns, 1,227 yards came through the air. Falor took over the reins as a do-it-all quarterback midway through the season after starter Leyton Martin was lost in Week 4 with an injury.

Falor also offered a team-high 651 yards on the ground and 29 catches for 313 yards, collecting three TDs in each category.

Falor’s season-long dominance as the offensive focal point came out of necessity for longtime head coach Greg Dailer and company.

“He’s just fantastic with the football,” Dailer said. “He was probably 90% of our offense at the time last year. With Leyton back and our full receiving corps all returning, it should be fun for us offensively. … We’re excited about finding different ways we can get (Falor) the ball.”

Also a lockdown ball-hawk in the Eagles secondary, Falor is expected to slot into a starting safety spot in addition to being a versatile weapon on offense. His efforts earned him a first-team all-league nod as well as a first-team All-Area spot.

Falor helped lead Arlington to a 7-3 record last season, but the Eagles lost to Peninsula 35-29 in a winner-to-state game in the Week 10 playoffs.

This season, Arlington has loftier postseason aspirations with hopes of claiming a Wesco 3A North league title in the process.

“I think we have the ability to go really far in the playoffs this year,” Falor said. “I think we have a team that can make a pretty deep run. … I just like the intensity we’re playing with, we’re all so close off the field and we have great team chemistry.”

Receiving the level of heavy reps that he did last fall, Falor said he was up for the challenge.

“You always have to be ready for what’s gonna come next,” he said. “You don’t always know, but you have to be able to own up to it, take that spot and bring it to the next level.”

With Martin back in the fold as the Eagles No. 1 quarterback option, Dailer plans on using Falor all over the field, including some package offense sets, as he figures to lean on him more heavily as the team’s stud middle safety in Arlington’s 3-3 stack defensive scheme.

“He’s absolutely our emotional leader,” Dailer said. “I think what’s going to be most exciting, with him not being QB one anymore, is his ability on defense. I think he’s really going to be able to help us on both sides of the ball.”

Falor thinks he’ll be able to mesh right into things as a target on offense rather than the team’s lead decision-maker and play-caller.

“I feel like since I played QB last year and Leyton’s our QB, we both know where the ball should be.” Falor said. “And as a wide receiver I know where the ball should be (too). So, I think we have that timing down and we both have high expectations for each other that we need to get to.”