ED TINKER -- BRASHEAR WR-DB

Some communities have midget-league football teams for 5- and 6-year-olds. Ed Tinker is a good example of how you don't necessarily need to play the sport at a young age.

Tinker never played organized football until his freshman year at Brashear and played little that season because of injury. So he hardly played until his sophomore year. Now, he is a standout receiver-defensive back with Division I college scholarship offers.

"I always played flag football when I was little," Tinker said. "Back then, I thought of myself as a basketball player. Then, I remember when I was a sophomore, our coach [Ron Wabby] told me I was into the wrong sport. He said I could get some good college looks in football. Ever since then, I've taken football more seriously."

He has some serious talent. Tinker has good size at 6 feet 3, 190 pounds. He caught 30 passes for 453 yards last season.

West Virginia, Louisville, Colorado, Minnesota and Iowa are some of the schools Tinker favors. All have offered scholarships.

Tinker is one of many returning starters for Brashear. Last year, the Bulls made it to the City League championship game before losing to Oliver. Brashear would like to give Wabby one more title before he retires.

"He didn't want to retire after last year because this is one of the best group of athletes he's had in a long time," Tinker said. "We'd like to get him one more [championship]. We know what it takes to get there now. We just have to win it." -- By Mike White

JERMAINE ROBINSON -- BRASHEAR QB-LB

Jermaine Robinson's teammates say he's so skinny they call him "French Fry." But he certainly isn't thin on talent.

Robinson is a 6-foot-3, 183-pound senior who already has accepted a scholarship to West Virginia. If Brashear lives up to preseason expectations and wins the City League championship, Robinson will be a vital cog.

This will be his first season as a full-time starting quarterback. A year ago, he did not become the starter until the third game of the season and finished 67 of 124 for 979 yards and nine touchdowns.

"I think I can have a bigger year," Robinson said. "I'm just more comfortable playing quarterback now. I'm better at reading defenses and checking in and out of plays."

Robinson committed to West Virginia in the spring, following in the footsteps of Brashear quarterbacks coach Major Harris, an All-American at West Virginia in the late 1980s. But Robinson's days as a quarterback will be over after his senior season at Brashear. He was recruited by WVU to play defensive back.

"I don't mind playing defense," Robinson said. "At the next level, them boys are kind of big. I'd rather hit them than have them falling on me."

But before college, there is the matter of a City League season.

"After our first scrimmage, I think we realized we can be 10 times better than last year," Robinson said. -- By Mike White

DaVAUGHN COPELAND -- OLIVER QB

DaVaughn Copeland knows what is in front of him. Yes, he fully understands the expectations.

"Basically, everyone is counting on me to be a leader and lead this team," said Copeland, a 6-foot, 168-pound junior starting quarterback at defending City League champion Oliver.

"It hit me when I looked around this year and none of those 18 seniors from last year's team were here anymore. Instead of saying, 'Who is going to be the player that leads us,' I just said, 'I'm going to be the leader.'"

And Copeland has earned the right to take the leadership role. In addition to propelling the Bears to their first City championship since 1942 last season, he was one of the most potent offensive threats, throwing for 1,314 yards and 14 touchdowns.

But Copeland knows those accolades are old news.

"People talk about the championship and that was great and everything," he said. "But you have to put that behind you. No one is going to be scared of us or anything because we won it last year. I bet they want to beat us more because we won it last year. That's why I know I gotta step up and play even better."

-- By Colin Dunlap