South Fayette QB ready to outperform the rest
Drew Welhorsky, like many of his South Fayette football teammates, wears a green silicone bracelet on his left wrist. The wristband features four printed white letters, all capitalized Os.
“Outlast, overcome, outwork,” he easily rattles off the first three but struggles to remember the fourth, which is out-power.
Forgive Welhorsky. For while he outdoes most in the first three categories, he’s more likely to finesse opponents than wield strength over them.
Welhorsky passed for 1,881 yards and 16 touchdowns and also rushed for 1,030 yards and 12 more scores as a junior last year. The 6-1, 195-pound signal caller also was a standout in lacrosse, leading the Lions to a second straight WPIAL runner-up trophy this spring. He was named the Class 2A Player of the Year after tallying 80 goals and providing 69 assists to raise his career totals to 359 points, 209 goals and 150 assists.
“No matter what the competitive situation he is in, Drew will compete,” said Lions football coach Marty Spieler. “He’s fiery. He accelerates well. He has great body control, a quick release and the ability to extend plays. He challenges defenses. He rises to the occasion.”
Welhorsky also never gives up. He never quits. He persists. He keeps his chin up.
Whether in a real-life situation or in the context of an athletic competition, Welhorsky says, there is always adversity. “You work through it and you keep going,” he said. “I don’t get down on myself. I stay positive.”
Welhorsky is ready to lead the Lions to a better fate this fall than last season. In 2024, he burst onto the scene, leading South Fayette to six straight victories before ending the season with a five-game slump, including a decisive defeat, 49-28, against Penn-Trafford in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs.
“Towards the end of the year, we got tired and I got down on myself. Some of the late-season decision-making I’d want to change but it’s a learning experience,” Welhorsky reasoned. “You just have to stay true to yourself and the team. Not get too high or two low.”
“Staying mentally focused and finishing strong are two goals this season because I want the team to make the playoffs. Maybe get a home playoff game and win it.”
Winning more than one conference clash is also imperative even though Welhorsky noted the Allegheny Six with Peters Township, Upper St. Clair, Moon, Bethel Park and Baldwin is one of the toughest divisions in Class 5A.
He welcomes his role as a team captain to help the Lions “pull through the closer games” and achieve their expectations.
“That means just being a better leader than I was last year,” Welhorsky said. “It’s just another step in maturing as a player. I want to be the best I can possibly be.”
Welhorsky comes by his talent naturally. He comes from a “big football” family” that has collegiate experience.. His dad, Michael and uncle, Steven, played at Slippery Rock University while his granddad, Steven, played defensive tackle at the University of Maryland.
Welhorsky, himself, picked up the game in kindergarten. He played wherever they placed him. His first season, he was a tailback then moved to quarterback his second year.
“They needed someone to do it,” he explained. “So I stuck with it ever since. I just liked the leadership role and being able to help out at all the spots.”
Welhorsky supplemented football with lacrosse, picking up the sport in fifth grade. After the COVID pandemic, he resumed playing in the seventh grade and eventually won a starting spot as an attack on the varsity squad as a freshman.
“I really like both sports. The speed of lacrosse and the full-team aspect of football. You need 11 guys in each to be successful,” he said.
Welhorsky’s success on the football field this fall could determine his future plans. While he has talked to Robert Morris and other Division II and III schools concerning lacrosse as well as Carnegie Mellon, Bucknell, Lehigh and Towson State regarding football, he has no scholarship offers yet.
Welhorsky admitted it’s “disappointing” but he knows his time will come.
“I’m not sure which sport I’ll play at the moment. The key is to get the best education I can,” said Welhorsky, who hopes to major in business or finance. “It’s hard to think about my high school career coming to an end but the focus is on the team. That keeps me humble and team centered. To me, the team is what’s important.”
Drew Welhorsky
Bio Box
Age: 17
Parents: Michael and Melissa
Birthdate: July 30
Siblings: Kendall, 15. She plays volleyball, basketball and softball.
School: South Fayette
Year: Senior
GPA: 3.7
Sports: Football, lacrosse
Organizations: Ski Club
Food: Steak
Restaurant: Capital Grille
Read: Great Gatsby
Color: Blue
Music: I like it all but Hip Hop is my pump-up music and I like Drake as an artist.
Favorite athlete: Kobe Bryant. “Because of his mentality and because he is so inspirational.”
If you could have dinner with anybody, dead or alive, who would it be: Kobe or Drake
Life lesson sports has taught you: Discipline, team work and time management
People might be surprised to know this about you: I like to hike. I have taken a lot of trips out west and walked in national parks like Moab in Utah and Sedona in Arizona.