Peter Diana, Post-Gazette photoillustration
	From left, North Hills' Ryan Lehmeier, South Fayette's Andrew DiDonato, Perry's Desmond Brentley, Seneca Valley's Kevan Smith, Penn-Trafford's Tyler Huether, South Park's Connor Dixon and Quaker Valley's Darren Rogers could be Western Pennsylvania's next great quarterback.

By Mike White
Pittsburgh Posr-Gazette

If Western Pennsylvania is the cradle of quarterbacks, then it's a virtual baby boom this season.

No quarterback in this senior class is being baptized as the next Marino or Montana. But the WPIAL and City League does have a group of quarterbacks who seem to be born leaders, and apparently have taken a drink from the Western Pennsylvania quarterback talent fountain.

Five senior QBs have made either a verbal commitment to a Division I-A college, or at least have a scholarship offer from a I-A school. One or two more could end up with an offer in the future.

Ones To Watch: Quarterbacks Quarterback Gallery: A look at 22 Western Pennsylvanian quarterbacks of significance from today and yesteryear

This is a class that will only enhance the area's quarterback tradition. Western Pennsylvania has produced six Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks, one Heisman Trophy winner plus countless others who have gone on to big things. This season alone, there will be four WPIAL quarterbacks starting at Division I colleges and four more are on NFL rosters.

"When you consider there are only 119 I-A colleges, and we might have five or six sign with those schools this year, that's pretty impressive for just a small corridor of the country," said Joe Butler of Metro Index Scouting in Pittsburgh.

To put this year's crop of quarterbacks in perspective, consider this: Only twice in the past 18 years has the WPIAL-City League produced a senior class with five Division I-A quarterbacks who were recruited to play quarterback, and not another position.

The previous time was 1989, when six signed with I-A colleges. They were Ford City's Gus Frerotte (Tulsa), Hempfield's Matt Federico (Tulsa), Sto-Rox's Jody Dickerson (Michigan State), Knoch's Matt Dunaway (Navy), Aliquippa's David Mike (Maryland) and Wilmington's Jason Smargiasso (Kansas State).

In 1986, the WPIAL and City League produced five Division I signees. They were Brashear's Major Harris (West Virginia), Ringgold's Scott Zolak (Maryland), Hempfield's Dan Walkowiak (North Carolina), Norwin's John Rasp (Pitt) and Bethel Park's Dean Gabey (Kent State).

Two years ago, five quarterbacks from the WPIAL signed with Division I colleges, but a few were recruited to play other positions.

A number of times in the past 20 years, only one or two quarterbacks from a WPIAL or City League school signed with a Division I college.

So far in this senior class, Seneca Valley's Kevan Smith has committed to Pitt and South Park's Connor Dixon to Michigan State.

Perry's Desmond Brentley, Penn-Trafford's Tyler Huether and Quaker Valley's Darren Rogers have at least one scholarship offer from a Division I school. A few other senior quarterbacks are attracting interest from Division I colleges. And a few others are simply excellent high school quarterbacks, but not being recruited by Division I colleges.

For example, South Fayette's Andrew DiDonato has thrown for more than 4,000 career yards and has an outside chance at breaking the WPIAL career passing record. North Hills' Ryan Lehmeier is a throwing and running threat who has been called one of the WPIAL's best QBs.

"There are only a few areas in this country that are identified with positions," said Allen Wallace, publisher of Super Prep magazine in Woodland Hills, Calif., and national scouting editor for scout.com. "When you think of Florida, you think of speedy receivers and running backs. When you think of the Midwest, you think of the big road-grater offensive linemen and tough middle linebackers. Texas also has great skill guys.

"California and Western Pennsylvania have always been known for quarterbacks and I know from talking to colleges that it's still that way."

The names

The success of quarterbacks from Western Pennsylvania has been talked about and written about before. But the legacy continues to grow.

Central Catholic's Dan Marino was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this month. And consider this: the Hall of Fame has inducted 21 quarterbacks from what it terms the "modern era" (after 1946). Amazingly, six are from Western Pennsylvania. They are Marino, Ringgold's Joe Montana, Beaver Falls' Joe Namath, St. Justin's Johnny Unitas, Youngwood's George Blanda and East Brady's Jim Kelly. St. Justin was a high school on Mount Washington and Youngwood is now part of the Hempfield school district. East Brady is not part of the WPIAL.

"I always wanted to be like Dan Marino and Joe Montana when I was little because they played other sports like me," said Dixon, who also plays basketball at South Park. "I don't know when I found out those guys were from around here, but I like hearing stories about them. My uncle [Kevin Dixon] played at Mt. Lebanon and he tells me about when they played Montana. His coach told the team in a pregame meeting, 'OK, you're going against probably the best player you've seen in your life tonight. We have to make him have a bad day.'"

Four WPIAL QBs are on NFL rosters this season -- St. Louis' Marc Bulger (Central Catholic), Philadelphia's Mike McMahon (North Allegheny), Miami's Frerotte and Pittsburgh's Charlie Batch (Steel Valley).

Four others are expected to be starters at Division I-A colleges. They are Tyler Palko (Pitt), Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski (Seton-LaSalle), Akron's Luke Getsy and Connecticut's Matt Bonislawski (Highlands).

"I moved here from Dayton, Ohio, in seventh grade and I didn't know about all the great quarterbacks from here," Rogers said. "But I learned."

Marino, Montana, Namath and Unitas are four of the biggest names among Western Pennsylvania quarterbacks. But there are many more who have added to the "cradle of quarterback" legacy. Connellsville's Johnny Lujack won the 1947 Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame.

Brashear's Major Harris played at West Virginia and finished in the top five in Heisman voting twice. He was the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw for 5,000 career yards and rush for 2,000.

Then there are the lesser-known QBs who did noteworthy things. Here's a few from the did you know file:

Two former WPIAL QBs played at Penn State and were runners-up for the Heisman -- Chuck Fusina (Sto-Rox) in 1978 and Richie Lucas (Glassport) in 1959. Glassport is now part of South Allegheny.

O.J. Simpson's first quarterback with the Buffalo Bills was Dan Darragh of South Hills Catholic (now Seton-LaSalle).

Fred Mazurek of Redstone (now part of Brownsville) was the QB of Pitt's 1963 team that was 9-1 and ranked No. 3 in the country.

Uniontown's Sandy Stephens played at Minnesota and was the first black All-American quarterback.

Derry's Frank Patrick was the starting quarterback at Nebraska in the late 1960s.

Why?

No one seems to have a definitive answer as to why Western Pennsylvania keeps producing talented QBs. Pitt assistant coach Greg Gattuso played at Seton-LaSalle and had a few standout QBs from the WPIAL when he was head coach at Duquesne.

"The scary thing is I've actually thought about this over the years and I really can't come up with a good reason," Gattuso said. "But it is bizarre how many have come from here."

Butler believes there is one main reason for the Western Pennsylvania QB legacy.

"I think coaching has a lot to do with it," Butler said. "I think we have very good coaches here who, for some reason, know how to pick players and coach them at quarterback."

South Park's Dixon concurs with Butler's theory.

"My coach [Tom Loughran] was actually an assistant at Central Catholic when Marino was there," Dixon said. "He always kids me, saying Dan Marino could make this throw or that throw. But I'd have to say Coach Loughran is the reason why I've gotten better."

Some believe the run of quarterbacks in Western Pennsylvania has something to do with players simply wanting to be part of the tradition.

"A player makes a name for himself and then causes younger players to look and see what can be accomplished," Wallace said. "The younger players start focusing on being like one of the older guys."

Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko is on his way to becoming part of the legacy.

"I wanted to play quarterback because I wanted to be the guy who had the ball in his hands all the time," said Palko, a West Allegheny graduate. "But growing up, I was well aware of all the great quarterbacks and the tradition of Western Pennsylvania, and it was important for me to try and become a part of that. ... By no means am I comparing myself to the Hall of Famers who won Super Bowls because I still have a long, long way to go."

Dixon had a reason for the quarterback legacy.

"Maybe it's just something in the water," he said with a laugh.

This year's crop

Five of the top nine passers in the WPIAL and City League last season are back in 2005. They are Huether, DiDonato, Brentley, Pine-Richland's Jake Long and Baldwin's Justin Schmotzer.

"I think the quarterback crop was OK after last year, but a few guys have really come on in the offseason," Butler said. "Kevan Smith is a guy who came out of nowhere."

Smith played only two games last season at Seneca Valley because of a wrist injury, but threw for 500 yards in those games. He performed well at scouting combines and Pitt offered him after seeing him at its summer camp.

Michigan State offered Dixon after he attended the Spartans' camp for a day.

Rogers, Huether and Brentley have offers, but are not in a hurry to make a decision.

"Huether is really good," Butler said. "It's a shame he's just not a little taller. Schools want taller guys, but you won't go wrong taking him because he's talented."

Size also works against Lehmeier, who stands only 5 feet 11.

"He's what you just call a 'player,'" Butler said. "He's strong, he's smart and he's physical. He might be a safety in college, but the kid is just a winner. If I were a high school coach, he's the kind of guy I'd want on my team."