The race for the WPIAL passing title has seen some historic seasons in recent years. In 2018, Sto-Rox junior Eric Wilson became the first player in WPIAL history to throw for over 3000 yards in the regular season. Wilson threw for 3003 yards and 38 TDs in 2019 but was edged by South Fayette’s Naman Alemada by just 6 yards. In the COVID-shortened regular season of 2020, Armstrong sophomore Cadin Olsen exploded for 2000 yards and 23 TDs in just 7 games. Last season, Olsen finished second behind Gateway’s Brad Birch who put up 2355 yards and 24 TDs in the regular season. Last year the top eight passers all eclipsed the 2000-yard mark and the top three all return this season. In total, more than half of the top 20 passers from last season are back this year.
Here is a look at the top contenders for the WPIAL passing crown. Players are listed in alphabetical order, not in predicted order of finish. Of note, their passing stats from last year are full season statistics, which include both regular season and playoff outings. Typically the “Passing Champion” is the player with the most regular season yards. Don’t forget to check out our WPIAL Blitz Season Preview Shows and bookmark our WPIAL Standings Page for once the season starts!
Top Contenders
Brad Birch (Gateway)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 2623 yards, 27 TDs
Career Stats: 4299 yards, 55 TDs
Birch led the WPIAL in passing last season after transferring from Jeannette to Gateway. He threw for over 2300 yards in the regular season and finished the year with over 2600 once the playoffs were included. Birch is only a junior and already has a D1 offer from Oregon. Birch lost some talent in the receiving corps to graduation, but Gateway has quality depth on the outside with Dallas Harper, Anez Jordan, and TE Remy Bose.
Jaren Brickner (Beaver Falls)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 2579 yards, 25 TDs
Career Stats: 4009 yards, 34 TDs
The Tigers’ run to the WPIAL title game elevated Brickner’s name into the top of the year-end passing list. He finished just behind Brad Birch with 2579 yards and 25 TDs, with over 700 yards coming in the postseason. Beaver Falls gets back not only Brickner but also leading receiver Trey Singleton and leading rusher Isaiah Aeschbacher. The Tigers are the clear favorites in the 2A Midwestern Conference with Brickner at the helm.
Nick Buckley (Keystone Oaks)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 1916 yards, 16 TDs
Career Stats: 1944 yards, 16 TDs
Buckley finished the 2021 campaign with just over 1900 yards. But it was the way his season ended that has him on the radar for 2022. The Golden Eagles went toe-to-toe with North Catholic in the quarterfinals with Buckley throwing for 334 yards and 5 TDs. Even though his top four receivers graduated, KO has three returning receivers over 6’1″ which should give them a size advantage on the outside. Keystone Oaks also moves down in classification this year which should give Buckley more opportunities in the passing game.
Julian Dugger (Penn Hills)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 1306 yards, 20 TDs
Career Stats: 2201 yards, 25 TDs
Dugger is a dual-threat quarterback who has started since his freshman year. Now a junior, he is looking to lead the Indians to a WPIAL title after a semifinal run last season. Dugger threw for over 1300 yards last season after throwing for nearly 900 as a freshman. The Indians return two D1 recruits at defensive back who also play wide receiver in Raion Strader and Cam Thomas.
Quentin Goode (Aliquippa)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 1927 yards, 17 TDs
Career Stats: 1927 yards, 17 TDs
Goode is a rising junior who threw for over 1927 yards en route to the Quips winning the 4A state title last season. Aliquippa has an absolutely loaded roster all over the field and an insanely talented group of wide receivers that includes Donovan Walker and Brandon Banks. Head Coach Mike Warfield has shown a willingness to air it out in the past with the “Air Warfield” offense.
Graham Hancox (Seneca Valley)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 1054 yards, 8 TDs
Career Stats: 1090 yards, 8 TDs
Seneca Valley got off to a great start last season before Hancox was injured. This year, they return a loaded group of skill position players that includes Navy-commits Luke Lawson and Aiden Lyczek. Lawson will play receiver and Lyczek tight end for a Raiders team looking to make a run at their first WPIAL title in school history.
Josh Jenkins (Sto-Rox)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 1471 yards, 21 TDs
Career Stats: 2898 yards, 37 TDs
Josh Jenkins is the quintessential “team-first” kind of player that all coaches love. Two years ago, when he was lighting it up at quarterback, he moved to WR to help alleviate some injuries at the position. Last year, he split time between QB and WR with Austin Jones also playing quarterback. With Jones graduated, Jenkins returns to the QB role full-time with an absolutely loaded receiving corps. The top four receivers all return to the Vikings squad (Zay Davis, Terry Booth, Jaymont Green-Miller, and Drevon Miller-Ross). Jenkins has an offer from VMI and should be able to showcase his talents this year on a stacked Sto-Rox offense that will contend for the WPIAL scoring title.
Antwon Johnson (Central Valley)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 1259 yards, 19 TDs
Career Stats: 1305 yards, 19 TDs
Johnson stepped into the quarterback role last season as an injury replacement when Matt Merritt went down. He had so much success that even after Merritt’s return, the two split the duties under center. Central Valley is coming off a run of three straight WPIAL titles and two State titles, but will move up to 4A this season. At receiver, Jayvin Thompson returns and should be Johnson’s top target in the passing game.
Cadin Olsen (Armstrong)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 2501 yards, 28 TDs
Career Stats: 4536 yards, 51 TDs
The 2020 WPIAL passing champ returns for his senior season having committed to Penn. The good news for Olsen is that his favorite target Isaiah Brown (906 yards, 9 TDs) also returns for the Riverhawks. With Olsen and Brown both in the lineup, Armstrong may have the best QB-WR tandem in the WPIAL. The Riverhawks are looking to make a run at the conference title in a wide open 4A Greater Allegheny Conference.
Chandler Thimons (Highlands)
Highlights: Hudl
2021 Stats: 1340 yards, 17 TDs
Career Stats: 4018 yards, 44 TDs
Thimons is entering his senior season and is one of the rare four-year starters in the WPIAL. He has thrown for just over 1300 yards in each of the previous three seasons. With two of his top three receivers returning and a head coach in Matt Bonislawski who used to play QB for the Golden Rams, Thimons is looking to challenge Armstrong’s Cadin Olsen in the 4A Greater Allegheny Conference.
Others to Watch
Nehemiah Azeem (OLSH) – Azeem threw for 1776 yards and 14 TDs last season while leading OLSH to the WPIAL final. The Chargers fell to Bishop Canevin in that game, but return a load of talent to this year’s squad. Leading receivers Ziggy McIntosh, Dereon Greer, and Dorrien Tate all return for an OLSH team looking to win their second WPIAL title in school history.
Michael Evans (Canon-McMillan) – Evans was 6A’s leading passer last season, putting up nearly 1600 yards and 13 TDs. With only 5 teams in the 6A classification, more than half of the Big Macs schedule will be filled with games against teams from lower classes.
John Green (North Hills) – It might be strange to see a North Hills player on the list after the Indians were traditionally such a run-heavy team. However, they opened up the passing game last season with Green who threw for 1293 yards and 12 TDs. Playing in a conference with Penn Hills and Pine-Richland, the Indians are going to need to be able to throw the ball if they want to contend, and Green has the talent to keep them right in the mix.
Nate Harper (Avonworth) – With Central Valley moving up to 4A, Avonworth has to be considered one of the favorites in 3A this season. Nate Harper threw for 1232 yards and 11 TDs last season and returns his leading receiver Peyton Faulkner.
Eric Kasperowicz, Jr (Mars) – The dark horse of the season is Eric Kasperowicz Jr. Since his father took the head coaching job at Mars and moved the family into the district, Eric has been installed as the starting quarterback. There are plenty of highlights out there from Eric putting up monster performances in 7-on-7 and in summer camps. Mars will be transitioning from a traditionally run-heavy team to the wide open offense Kasperowicz likes to run so there may be some growing pains this season.
Austin Mitchell (Northgate) – Last year Northgate snapped a 32-game losing streak that dated back to 2017. A big part of their resurgence was dual-threat QB Austin Mitchell who threw for 1405 yards and 12 TDs and ran for 528 yards and 5 TDs.
Ryan Palmieri (Pine-Richland) – Palmieri stepped in mid-season last year due to an injury to starter Cole Boyd. He threw for over 1000 yards and 7 TDs in just 5 games. This season, the Rams return two of their top three receivers in Andrew Mellis and Brad Gelly.
Cody Rubrecht (Greensburg Salem) – Rubrecht led the WPIAL in receiving last year with 1010 yards. This year, he makes the switch to quarterback to replace Hayden Teska, who finished in the Top 5 in the WPIAL. Greensburg Salem also moves down in classification which should give them some easier defenses to play against.
CJ Soltis (Laurel Highlands) – Last season, West Virginia-recruit Rodney Gallagher led the Mustangs to their first playoff victory in school history. This year, the plan is to move Gallagher out to wide receiver along with Keondre DeShields. This should make up one of the best receiving tandems in the WPIAL and give newly-installed quarterback CJ Soltis plenty of options in the passing game. Soltis has battled through injuries in his career and will need to stay healthy this season.
Payton Wehner (Central Catholic) – Wehner is only a junior and is coming off a season where he threw for 1460 yards and 17 TDs. He gets back second-leading receiver Pete Gonzalez (son of the former Pitt QB) who has a ton of D1 offers. Central Catholic has their eyes set on the WPIAL title this season with Wehner at the helm of the offense.
Header image source: Brad Birch’s Hudl
