2023 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the quarterbacks

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 | 11:34 PM

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Starting today, TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top quarterbacks for the 2023 season.

1. Julian Dugger

Penn Hills

Senior, 6-4, 205

Dugger, a four-year starter, passed for more than 2,600 yards combined over the past two seasons. The Pitt recruit had 11 touchdown passes a year ago, a total that seems likely to increase this fall. Dugger also rushed for nearly 500 yards as a junior and earned first-team all-conference honors in Class 5A. The left-handed QB committed to Pitt over offers from Fordham, Holy Cross, Sacred Heart and Toledo. Along with playing football, he also starts for a Penn Hills basketball team that won a WPIAL title last winter and competes with the track team.

Watch Julian Dugger highlights

2. Brad Birch

Gateway

Senior, 6-2, 190

Birch, a four-year starter, already has more than 6,000 career passing yards. He threw for 2,623 and 2,018 yards in two seasons at Gateway, after totaling 1,676 yards as a freshman at Jeannette. He completed 60% of his passes last season (156 of 259) and threw for 19 touchdowns. His longest TD passes covered 65, 66 and 75 yards. He earned first-team all-conference honors in Class 5A as a junior, and the Gators are counting on him to be the catalyst for a big-play offense this season. He won a WPIAL Class A title at Jeannette in 2020.

Watch Brad Birch highlights

3. Payton Wehner

Central Catholic

Senior, 6-0, 175

Wehner ranked second among all WPIAL passers last season with 2,504 yards and ranks first among returning QBs this fall. He completed 176 of 285 attempts (62%) and threw for 17 touchdowns. The Vikings reached the WPIAL Class 6A finals. He’ll be a three-year starter this fall with nearly 4,000 career passing yards. He received his first college offer this summer from St. Francis (Pa.).

Watch Payton Wehner highlights

4. Mike Evans

Canon-McMillan

Senior, 6-1, 210

Evans passed for 1,463 yards and earned first-team all-conference honors in WPIAL 6A last season. He completed 103 of 218 passes with 18 touchdowns. His longest TD throws covered 66 and 72 yards. The third-year starter has more than 3,000 career passing yards. He’s the son of Big Macs coach Mike Evans Sr.

Watch Mike Evans highlights

5. Keegan Smetanka

Shaler

Senior, 6-0, 175

Smetanka ranked fifth among WPIAL passers last season with 2,151 yards, which was the most for any quarterback in Class 5A. He completed 60% of his attempts (156 of 260) and threw for 21 touchdowns. He earned second-team all-conference honors behind Dugger in the Northeast.

Watch Keegan Smetanka highlights

One to watch

Matt Sieg

Fort Cherry

Sophomore, 6-1, 170

Sieg emerged last year as a four-sport freshman phenom for Fort Cherry and became the first ninth grader in WPIAL history to pass and rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He threw for 1,221 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,982 yards and 33 TDs. He earned all-conference honors in Class A.

Watch Matt Sieg highlights

• • • • •

Position breakdowns

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

Top five coaching changes for 2023

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: Canon-McMillan, Central Catholic, Fort Cherry, Gateway, Penn Hills, Shaler