Football: QB Kelly Hilinski is connecting on 73% of his passes

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Improving his accuracy was a big goal for senior quarterback Kelly Hilinski of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, and so far, he has been right on target. He’s connecting on 73% of his passes, including a 15-for-18 performance for 187 yards and three touchdowns on Friday against Birmingham.

College recruiters have noticed Hilinski’s improvement. He was offered a scholarship by Colorado on Saturday, and North Carolina State came through with an offer before that.

‘He’s making good decisions,’ Coach Kevin Rooney said. ‘He’s throwing accurately and our receivers are catching the passes.’

Of course, the big challenges for Hilinski and Notre Dame (3-1) will come in the weeks ahead. The Knights play Chaminade on Sept. 28 and then face a grueling Serra League schedule against the likes of Alemany, Bishop Amat, Crespi and Loyola. Those five games will provide the ultimate answer on where Hilinski and his Knight teammates stand.

But clearly, Hilinski worked on being more accurate, spending hours with his receivers working on timing. And it’s paying off in September.

-- Eric Sondheimer