WPIAL football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the quarterbacks

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, August 12, 2019 | 12:01 AM

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WPIAL passing records have fallen one after another over the past five years, a sign high school football in Western Pennsylvania has changed.

South Fayette’s Brett Brumbaugh set the WPIAL career yardage record in 2014. Gateway’s Brady Walker broke the WPIAL single-season yardage record in 2017. And last year, Sto-Rox’s Eric Wilson broke the regular-season yardage mark as the first quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in 10 games.

Why the surge? Offensive coordinators have embraced the pass more than ever, and offseason passing camps have made an impact as well.

Four WPIAL passers topped 3,000 yards last season: OLSH’s Tyler Bradley (3,364), South Fayette’s Jamie Diven (3,211), Aliquippa’s Eli Kosanovich (3,180) and Wilson. Eight more threw for more than 2,000 yards.

Nowadays, no record is safe.

1. Jack Salopek

Norwin

Senior, 6-3, 180

The Western Michigan recruit completed 116 of 226 passes (51.3%) for 1,790 yards last season with 15 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Salopek averaged 15.4 yards per completion and twice threw for four touchdowns in a game. It was the second consecutive season he topped 1,700 yards. He threw for 1,820 as a sophomore. He chose WMU over offers from Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duquesne, Harvard, Lehigh, Penn, Sacred Heart, UMass, Yale and Youngstown State.

Watch Salopek’s highlights

2. Eric Wilson

Sto-Rox

Senior, 6-2, 180

Wilson averaged better than 300 yards per week and broke the WPIAL regular-season passing record last season with 3,003 in 10 games. He completed 158 of his 264 throws (59.8%) and averaged 19 yards per completion. His 38 touchdown passes ranked fifth among all WPIAL quarterbacks last season and first among QBs returning this fall. He lists an offer from Howard.

Watch Wilson’s highlights

3. Shane Stump

Thomas Jefferson

Senior, 6-1, 205

Stump led the Jaguars to the WPIAL finals as a sophomore and junior, winning the Class 4A title in 2017 and finishing as runner-up last year. He didn’t need to pass often last season but still threw for 1,833 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging 20.6 yards per completion. He completed 57.8% of his attempts (89 of 154). Stump, who also plays safety, lists offers from Dayton, Howard and Valparaiso.

Watch Stump’s highlights

4. Zack Swartz

Washington

Senior, 6-3, 200

Swartz celebrated his second consecutive 2,000-yard passing season last fall. He threw for 2,285 yards last season after totaling 2,009 as a sophomore. He completed 126 of 184 attempts (66.7%) and led Washington to the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals last year. He threw 28 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Watch Swartz’ highlights

5. Zack Rocco

North Catholic

Senior, 6-3, 235

Rocco threw for more than 4,000 yards combined over the past two seasons. The left-hander compiled 1,967 yards last season and 2,186 as a sophomore. He also rushed for 500 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago. He completed 118 of 184 passes (64.1%) and averaged 16.7 yards per completion.

Watch Rocco’s highlights

ONE TO WATCH

Logan Pfeuffer

Peters Township

Junior, 6-0, 160

Pfeuffer cracked the 2,000-yard mark as a sophomore as he led Peters Township to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. He completed 129 of his 210 passes (61.4%) for 2,045 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Watch Pfeuffer’s highlights

POSITION BREAKDOWNS

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | CB | S | K

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Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: North Catholic, Norwin, Peters Township, Sto-Rox, Thomas Jefferson, Washington