South Fayette QB ready to lead
Drew Saxton is to South Fayette football what Tom Brady is to the New England Patriots.
“Drew is the face of the program,” said Lions’ head coach Joe Rossi. “Quarterback here has always been. Quarterback is what makes you go. It’s the money position in football and when you have a quarterback, it gives you a chance to win.
“His character and talent gives us a chance to win,” Rossi continued of Saxton. “He knows the game. He has the mind and the ability.”
Since he started playing football around age 6, Saxton has always had the ability. It just took some time for coaches to figure out he was a natural at signal caller. When his father, Stew, signed him up for Pee Wee football, he was a center. After an experiment as a fullback, Saxton is finally the center of attention. A four-year varsity letterwinner, the 18-year-old Saxton enters the 2017 campaign as a three-year starter for the Lions.
After playing back-up quarterback his freshman year to Brett Brumbaugh, who passed for 11,084 career yards and a WPIAL record 127 touchdowns, Saxton took control of the snaps.
As a sophomore, he guided the Lions to a 12-1 record that featured a return trip to Heinz Field. The Lions lost in the waning minutes to rival Aliquippa in the WPIAL Class AA championship game. Last year, as a junior, although the Lions moved up to Quad A, Saxton again led the Lions to another undefeated conference title and a 10-1 record. South Fayette lost to New Castle, 51-43, in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs. In 2016, Saxton threw for 2,638 yards and 30 touchdowns. For his career, he has 4,703 yards and 61 TD strikes.
“He knows the game and it will slow down for him this season because of his experience,” Rossi said. “We’d throw it every down if we wanted to. Drew calls the plays himself. He makes great reads, progressive reads.”
Saxton may have progressed into the position, but he’s always been suited for quarterback. His personality and ability to manage pressure as well as process positive and negative situations fit the mold of those calling the shots.
Regarding being a leader, Saxton said that he had never worked at that. “It just comes naturally for me but as I got older I’ve developed skills that enable me to become a better leader.”
Besides, he added, “I like telling people what to do. And, at this position, you get to do that.”
Saxton noted he enjoys quarterback because it enables him to be “vocal” and when the pressure is on, “people look to you” and you “command” things.
“The position has made me a leader. Playing quarterback has formed who I am and how I go about doing my job and playing football.”
Because Saxton takes his leadership role seriously, he added a new routine to his workout regiment in preparation for his senior season. In addition to team-building skills and practices, Saxton worked with Ryan Rizor at Focus Sports & Performance in Robinson Towne Center. His training focused on all aspects; physical, psychological and mental.
“I’d workout and train a lot but I also worked on who I am as a person and my position. How my body works and how I can reach my full potential. You learn how to get the most out of your performances and understand who you are as a person.”
Saxton’s growth and maturation from his junior year no doubt will enable him to excel in his final scholastic season of football. He said that he’s done as much as he can to develop himself and lead the team.
Saxton vows there will be no reoccurrence of what happened against New Castle. While he acknowledged the Hurricanes, with their Division I talent, were a good team, Saxton believes the Lions could have and should have beaten them.
“I stayed in the locker room for the longest time because I was so mad at myself and the unrealized potential we had,” he said. “We did not achieve what we wanted to do. That’s on my shoulders. I put that on myself. I should have done more to help us win.”
Preparation proved Saxton’s and the Lions’ biggest failure. Because South Fayette had previously played in Class AA, the Lions were not ready for increased competition.
“We were used to Double-A and we always won,” said Saxton of the Lions, who sport a 38-2 overall record in his past three seasons. “Last year, our games were more challenging and I did not get the others ready enough for those challenges. What it comes down to is I had to do more in motivating all of us. As a quarterback, that’s your role. You have to carry it.”
He says that he will think about that game every day and his shortcomings as a motivator.
“It bugs me a lot what happened and what could have been and what I could have done,” said Saxton, who is being recruited by Lafayette, Penn and Columbia along with a host of Division III colleges such as Case Western, John Carroll and W&J..
Individually, Saxton says that he is not putting emphasis on numbers like passing yards and touchdowns, although his position coach would like to see Brumbaugh and him finish as No. 1 and No. 2. “That would take a lot of work,” he said.
All Saxton wants to do is go out the way he came in. As a freshman, he played on South Fayette’s undefeated (16-0) WPIAL and PIAA championship teams. However, this fall, the Lions must contend with Thomas Jefferson, the reigning champion.
“Without a doubt, TJ is the team to beat,” he said.
“At South Fayette, that’s our goal every year. To compete for championships,” Saxton said. “We’ll take it one week at a time.”