2023 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Penn Hills’ Julian Dugger

By: Michael Love
Friday, July 21, 2023 | 11:55 AM

Purchase Photo Options

As a sophomore, Julian Dugger helped Penn Hills win the Northeast Conference Class 5A title and make it to the WPIAL semifinals.

The dual-threat quarterback threw for more than 1,300 yards that season.

But 2022 was a tough year for the entire Penn Hills program as the team missed the postseason. Lost tiebreakers with Woodland Hills and Pine-Richland for second place in the conference left the Indians on the outside looking in.

It left a bad taste in many mouths, including Dugger’s, who is on a mission to help lead Penn Hills back to the playoffs and deliver a deep postseason run in his final high school season.

“It lit a fire under everybody,” he said.

“The intensity on the whole team went up. Nobody wants that feeling again. We knew we had the talent and knew what we should have done. The way we ended, it wasn’t what we wanted. We take that into consideration when we are working out and are on the field. It makes us go even harder.”

Last year, Dugger threw for more than 1,100 yards. He tossed 10 touchdowns and was intercepted just twice. He added almost 500 rushing yards as opposing defenses had a lot to think about when game-planning against him.

He capped his season with first-team all-conference honors.

The work Dugger has put in has impressed second-year Penn Hills coach Charles Morris.

“He looks really good right now,” Morris said. “He’s in great physical shape, and his footwork and throwing the ball on time looks phenomenal. You can see the difference with all the work he’s been putting in. The best for him is yet to come.”

Dugger enters this season an inch taller, and he put on several pounds of muscle.

“Everything starts in the weight room,” he said. “You have to have that strength to play high school football. I know that when I run with the football, I am going to get hit, and I have to be able to stand in there physically for my team.”

In addition to his goals for the team, he hopes to continue opening eyes of college coaches and scouts throughout the season.

“I want to prove myself to everyone,” Dugger said. “I want to win, and I want to dominate.”

Dugger owns six Division I offers, including Pitt, Toledo and UMass.

His most recent offer came July 12 from Holy Cross to go along with an offer from Fordham and Sacred Heart.

Dugger said he is excited to continue to show college coaches and scouts what he can do, and he made significant strides at camps throughout the summer, including a recent showing at Pitt’s camp late last month.

His arm strength and movement with his legs out of the pocket impressed Panthers coaches and put him on their radar. He picked up an offer from Pitt in May 2022.

“This summer has been really good for me,” said Dugger, who also showed his stuff at camps at Michigan State, West Virginia, Toledo, Virginia, Duke, North Carolina and Fordham.

“I’ve been getting a lot of good feedback. They like that I can spin the ball, and I’ve been able to show what I can do running the ball and making plays. I’ve been working on a lot of things to be better at my craft and get better for the season. ”

Julian Dugger

Penn Hills

Senior

6-4/205

Quarterback

Committed to: Uncommitted

Division I offers: UMass, Toledo, Pitt, Holy Cross, Sacred Heart, Fordham

2022 statistics: Dugger threw for 1,137 yards with 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also had 67 carries for 476 yards.

Twitter: @JulesDugger02

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn Hills