DiLucia, Hellmann nominated for Willie Thrower Award
Among top five QBs in the league
Nolan DiLucia from McMurray and Ethan Hellmann from Upper St. Clair are among the five finalists for the Willie Thrower Award.
The award recognizes the top quarterback in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
DiLucia and Hellmann will be honored along with Avonworth’s Carson Bellinger, North Catholic’s Joey Felitsky and Pine-Richland’s Aaron Strader on March 28 at a luncheon at the Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington. There the winner will take home a 29-pound replica of the Willie Thrower statue that sits inside of Valley High Memorial Stadium in New Kensington.
This is the sixth year for the award, which is named after the late Willie Thrower, the first Black quarterback to appear in an NFL game with the Chicago Bears in 1953.
Thrower began his career by helping lead the former New Kensington High School to WPIAL titles in 1946 and ’47, along with a runner-up finish in 1945. He was also the first Black quarterback in the Big Ten Conference, contributing to Michigan State’s 1952 national championship.
“I’m honored to be one of the five finalists for this award,” said Hellmann. “I appreciated everyone who voted for me.”
The finalists were selected from balloting by a 70-person panel consisting of two coaches from each WPIAL conference and the Pittsburgh City League, media members who cover high school football on a regular basis and game-night field officials. Receiving votes were 27 quarterbacks from WPIAL schools, the City League and schools that play an independent schedule.
“All I can say is I’m thankful to be a Peters Township Indian because without everyone there I wouldn’t be able to say that I’m blessed to be nominated,” DiLucia said.
DiLucia gained his recognition by leading the Indians to the WPIAL Class 5A championship, engineering the biggest comeback in the league’s history. Peters Township rallied from a 19-0 halftime deficit to stun No. 1 Pine-Richland, 20-19, in the title game played Nov. 22 at Acrisure Stadium.
DiLucia also guided the Indians to a conference championship and a PIAA semifinal appearance. Peters Township finished 13-1 overall after falling to Bishop McDevitt of Harrisburg, 31-28, on a last-second field goal on Nov. 29 at Mansion Park in Altoona.
During the 2025 campaign, DiLucia passed for 2,782 yards and had 22 touchdowns to only six interceptions.
Under his tenure, the Indians sported a 45-8 record with two conference and district championships and a PIAA state runner-up trophy. As a signal caller, he was 39-4 overall.
DiLucia, who was a three-time all-state selection, etched his name in the record books. He finished his career as the No. 2 all-time passing leader in the WPIAL. His 8,819 career passing yards trailed only South Fayette’s Brett Brumbaugh’s 11,084 total.
For his career, he accumulated 1,379 rushing yards and 17 TDs to add to his total of 81 passing strikes. Defensively, DiLucia had 211 career tackles and four interceptions.
The 18-year-old son of Michael and Jennifer DiLucia is continuing his career at Villanova University, where he plans to major in business.
Meanwhile, Hellmann also was a record-setter. A four-year starter like DiLucia, he shattered the Upper St. Clair record for passing with 5,511 career yards and 68 touchdowns.
In the fall, he guided the Panthers to a runner-up finish to Peters Township in the Allegheny Six Conference. USC lost to the Indians in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class 5A tournament and closed out the season with a 10-3 record.
Hellmann finished the 2025 campaign with 2,530 passing yards. He tossed 31 scoring strikes against five interceptions. He was 162 for 241 for a completion rate of 67 percent.
An all-conference selection, Hellmann recently committed to Fairmont State University.
DiLucia’s and Hellmann’s competition includes Felitsky, who led the WPIAL in passing with 3,381 yards and 44 touchdowns; Bellinger, who ranked second with 2,536 yards and 30 scores while leading the Antelopes to a PIAA title; and Strader, who passed for 2,193 yards and 32 TDs.
Past winners of the Willie Thrower Award were: Pine-Richland’s Cole Spencer (2020), Armstrong’s Caden Olsen (’21 and ’22) and Central Catholic’s Peyton Wehner (’23) and Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg (’24).