FALMOUTH — On the last play of the first quarter Friday night, with his team trailing Westbrook by a point, Falmouth quarterback Noah Nelson rifled a sideline pass to Connor Aube for 29 yards.

The timing between quarterback and receiver was impressive. Moments later on fourth-and-13, they teamed up again for 14 yards on a similar route. Again the timing was perfect. One play later Aube scored on a run and Falmouth took the lead for good.

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Noah Nelson not only is a passing threat for Falmouth but is a highly respected team-first player who’s been elected a co-captain the past two seasons. Whitney Hayward/Staff Photographer

Nelson, a senior, didn’t throw another pass the rest of the game and finished 3 of 3. He handed off the rest of the way and scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter as the Yachtsmen improved to 4-1 with a 27-8 victory.

Nelson said it didn’t bother him that he only attempted three passes.

“We wanted to take some time off the clock by running the ball,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes for us to win.”

That attitude is probably a reason his teammates elected him a co-captain the past two years, even though Nelson didn’t get to showcase his strong arm against the Blue Blazes.

“Noah has gone from being an average quarterback to one of the best in the area, perhaps the state,” said his quarterback coach, Tim Bryant, who played at the University of Massachusetts.

Through five games this season, Nelson has completed 36 of 58 passes for 510 yards. His completion rate is 62 percent.

“Noah has really developed,” said Bryant. “If you saw a game video of his sophomore season and one this season, it’s like night and day.

“As a sophomore Noah had to learn how to throw the football. He’s worked very hard on his mechanics and footwork. We run a fairly complex system with a lot of different formations. Noah easily manages that while reading coverage and distributing the ball. He’s very comfortable with whatever we need him to do.”

Coach John Fitzsimmons said Nelson approached him after the Westbrook game and said, “Coach, this is a great team win tonight.”

“That speaks highly of Noah as a team person,” said Fitzsimmons. “He’s the type of kid you love to coach and to watch how he supports his teammates.”

It’s not like Nelson hasn’t thrown this season. He passed 20 times for 154 yards against York, the team’s only loss.

In a game against Greely last year, Nelson passed 28 times.

While the Yachtsmen certainly can throw the ball, they also have a strong running game, featuring Aube, George Gilbert and Nick Wisseman running behind the likes of linemen Drew Chamberlain, Grant Smith and Logan Herodes.

“We will pass in the playoffs,” said Fitzsimmons. “Noah’s ability to throw makes our offense that much more well-balanced.”

Nelson became a starter his sophomore season. Having graduated several starters from a playoff team the previous year, the Yachtsmen went 1-7.

“I took my lumps,” he said. “The game seemed really fast but I learned to hang it there and get the pass off while taking the hit.”

The 6-foot-1 Nelson, who also plays baseball, hit the weight room after that season and worked on improving his arm strength.

As a junior Falmouth went 5-4, losing in the playoffs to Marshwood, which was the Western Class B champion. This season Falmouth is well-positioned to gain a high seed in the playoffs and be home for at least one playoff game.

As for all that commotion in the pocket his sophomore year?

“The game has slowed down,” said Nelson.

Last summer, Nelson worked with Quinton Porter, the former Portland High, Boston College and Canadian Football League quarterback. He credits Sunday film sessions during the season with Bryant to help him prepare for upcoming games. Nelson, an honor roll student, attended several college showcases last summer and wants to play quarterback in college. As for where that will be, that likely won’t be known until next spring. A NESCAC school is a strong possibility.

“Noah can definitely play in college,” said Bryant.

As for his future after college, Nelson said: “I definitely want to be involved in sports in some capacity. I’m a sports fanatic. I love watching SportsCenter on ESPN.”

Could he be in television like his parents?

Nelson is the son of Cindy Williams, a WCSH news co-anchor, and Lee Nelson, the station’s morning show co-anchor.

“When I was younger,” he said, “one of my friends, Jack Simonds, used to tell my teachers on the first day off school that Cindy Williams and Lee Nelson were my parents. I remember people asking my parents for autographs when I was younger.”

Who knows? In a few years Noah Nelson may giving autographs.

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