Wednesday, August 20, 2003

By Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

One in a series on top high school football players in the WPIAL and City League.

Devon Lyons played sparingly at receiver last year for Woodland Hills. He's not sure if he caught five or six passes -- the entire season.

	Woodland Hills' Devon Lyons is one of the best players in the WPIAL. But at what position? (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

Lyons saw a lot more playing time as a defensive back but wasn't a full-time player there, either.

So now that Lyons is a senior and a few other Woodland Hills stars have graduated, this is his time to shine.

Colleges already have seen the light.

Lyons has scholarship offers from two dozen colleges, and his final list of six schools is impressive. At some point after the season, he said he will choose between Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt and Miami.

What the colleges see in Lyons is a tall, fast, athletic player with an 18-wheeler load of potential. Lyons is only 16 years old.

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"We always knew he'd be a good one," said Woodland Hills Coach George Novak. "But he's been in kind of a tough situation as far as being a shining star because he's had some other pretty good kids ahead of him."

Two years ago, quarterback Steve Breaston was the star. He's at the University of Michigan. Last year, the spotlight was on receiver-defensive back Ryan Mundy, Lyons' cousin, who joined Breaston at Michigan.

Now comes a bigger, stronger Lyons to assume a leading role in the Wolverines' quest to become the first team to win three consecutive WPIAL Class AAAA titles. A 3.4 student who answers questions with "yes, sir" and "no, sir," Lyons has added 20 pounds since last season.

He stands 6 feet 4, weighs 213 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at a Nike combine in the spring and can bench press 315 pounds.

Woodland Hills opponents might be fed to the Lyons this season.

"He might be better than Ryan Mundy," said Gateway Coach Terry Smith.

But at what position? Rivals100.com ranks him the No. 13 safety in the country. Other scouting services rank him as one of the best defensive backs in the eastern part of the country.

Most colleges like him as a receiver. Of his six finalists, only Notre Dame and Miami want him as a defensive back.

Smith should know a thing or two about Division I receivers. He was one at Penn State.

"I saw him at a couple camps this summer," Smith said. "I think he can be a pretty special receiver. We thought he was a pretty solid receiver last year. This year, he seems to be an exceptional receiver. Don't get me wrong. He can be a top-notch defensive back, but I think he'll end up being a much better receiver."

Lyons will start on offense and defense this season. The other starting receiver will be his brother, Wes, a 6-3 sophomore and another future Division I prospect.

"I think Devon can play either side of the ball in college, but I think it all depends on how big he gets," Novak said. "He can play a number of positions. He can even grow into an outside linebacker."

Lyons doesn't have a preference.

"We'll see how things go this season, but I'm starting to like receiver a lot more," Lyons said. "Last year, receiver was just so-so with me."

In midget leagues, Lyons played quarterback and used to be on the same West End team as Mundy and North Hills star running back Andrew Johnson, a Pitt recruit. Lyons and Johnsonwent to a movie together the other night, but they rarely talk football, even though Johnson has said he will try to sway all the WPIAL's top prospects to Pitt.

"Pitt's still in the running, but I'm not so sure about the campus. It's a little spread out," Lyons said. "Penn State is a lot nicer than I thought it would be, and I didn't think their facilities would be as nice as they are. I like Penn State's coaches. Coach [Joe] Paterno is funny. Even though he's old, he tries to run around and do everything at practice."

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