Belle Vernon's Strong 1-2 Punch Of Whitlock And Martin Has Leopards Aiming High
BELLE VERNON, Pa. (KDKA) -- Every year, there's a conversation about the best football player in the WPIAL.
This year, Belle Vernon quarterback Devin Whitlock might just be staking his claim.
"He's one of the most dynamic players in all of southwestern Pennsylvania and I'd probably argue the whole state of Pennsylvania," said Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert.
In his second year as the Leopards' starting QB, the senior is a threat to score every time he touches the ball, both with his arm and his legs.
"He's a run-first kid," Humbert said. "He's a read-option kid, but he can offer that dynamic of throwing the football when he needs to as well."
"I feel like any time I touch the ball, I'm going to reach the endzone," Whitlock said. "That's just my mindset."
Whitlock's size and speed combo has drawn comparisons to another dynamic quarterback: the Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray.
"I get that a lot," Whitlock said. "A lot of people give me those comparisons. But I tell myself I just come out and try to play like myself so whenever I get older, if I can do something with it, kids can say they want to be the next Devin Whitlock."
And Whitlock's not the only weapon in the Belle Vernon backfield. Sophomore running back Quinton Martin already has offers from college programs like Pitt and Penn State and his ability makes B.V. tough to defend.
"You have to defend one of us, and it is very hard to defend two good players," Martin said. "It's either me or Devin and we have to read which one they pick. If they come for me, it's Devin and I feel like he'll get a touchdown."
Unlike his backfield mate, Whitlock has not drawn the attention of Division I coaches, mainly because of his size.
"I just control what I can control," Whitlock said. "I don't really worry about that during the season. I got a goal and that's to focus on one team at a time until we get to Heinz and then to Hershey."