Trio of top-notch QBs make the Jefferson a district to watch

By Bart Isley

Published: August 27, 2008

One is a master magician, tutored in how to perfectly pull the ball out at the last second and leave the defense tackling a ball carrier without a ball as he flicks it into the end zone.
Another is a two-way star who has already shown the ability to beat teams on offense almost single-handedly with his feet and arm, and snuff out any hope of a comeback when he roams the secondary.
The other is also a two-way impact player who’ll try and help his team learn to win under a new coach while also putting together what should be a special senior season.
They’re all three going to play a big part in who wins the Jefferson District this season.
Rarely do three such signal-callers come through school at the exact same time, but this year, fans across the Jefferson District will be treated to a trio of quarterbacks who have the potential to play at the next level. Monticello’s Michael Graham, Orange’s Quintin Hunter and Charlottesville’s Kevin Leatherwood will give defensive coordinators headaches all season.
Graham becomes the centerpiece
It’s a new season for defending state champion Monticello (13-1 in 2007), and head coach Brud Bicknell isn’t taking any chances that his returning starters get complacent.
“Before the season started, he told us to lock up our rings and not think about them anymore because it’s in the past now, we’ve got to look ahead,” Graham said.
Graham’s greatest strength in 2007 wasn’t his prototypical height or his ability to throw the deep ball — which he can do, with ease.
It was his maniacal attention to detail, like carrying out perfect play fakes. Little things like that separate Graham from a lot of other high school quarterbacks.
With Takeem Hedgeman in the backfield, Graham could sell a run to Hedgeman hard, as he did several times during Monticello’s state title game win, and then seemingly materialize with the ball deep in the backfield, ready to pick apart a secondary scrambling to catch up.
That will pay huge dividends this year too, even without Hedgeman lining up behind him. He’ll have to be even more focused on making sure defenses aren’t sure he has the ball because more attention is going to be paid to the senior who threw for 2,237 yards and 18 touchdowns last year.
He’ll also have to settle in on a go-to receiver with playmaker Daniel Lieb’s graduation, but he won’t have to look far. Starting wideout Jake Pelton and tight end Sam Roller both return. Pelton yanked down 44 catches as a junior while Roller had 11 grabs.
“We’ve been working hard all offseason, we’ve definitely got the timing down already and we mesh well,” Graham said.
With Wheeler Young and Tyler Mitchell among the three returning offensive linemen, Graham should be well protected.
Graham and the offense won’t have to get it done alone either. The defense returns the entire secondary (Hines Banks, Khiry Washington and Marvin Mills anchor things) as well as Emmanuel Scott at defense end and Chris Coiner and Jace Brady at linebacker. 
“I think we have a better all-around team than last year,” Graham said. “Instead of a few good players here or there, all around we’re pretty good.”
That simple pronouncement should have everyone in the Jefferson District worried.
Hunter leads on both sides of the ball for Hornets
Nobody looks at the big picture quite like Quintin Hunter. As an underclassman wide receiver and defensive back, Hunter gained an understanding that even though he could likely win a few games by putting the Hornets (7-3 in 2007) on his back and carrying them, to win a Jefferson District title, he’s going to need his teammates to win in all three phases of the game.
That’s a big reason why the two-way quarterback and defensive back is talking defense first when it comes to the Hornets’ prospects this season.
“What’s different is our whole defense is coming back and our chemistry is better this year,” Hunter said. “This is our year to get redemption on all the teams that beat us and the teams we should have beaten [last year].”
Hunter threw for 2,100 yards and rushed for 860 as a junior in his first year behind center since middle school, earning first team
All-Central Virginia honors. His body of work over three years on both sides of the ball was enough to earn Hunter a scholarship offer from Virginia, where he committed last spring. With recruiting out of the way, the senior can focus on making sure his Orange career is capped with a Jefferson District title.
Hunter will likely decide that fate and it’ll take a major injury to keep the senior off the field. He proved his ability to play through pain during basketball last season, working through a painful ankle injury while earning first team
All-Central Virginia honors.
“Quintin [Hunter] is definitely an important part of our offense — we’ve got to keep him healthy,” said Orange head coach John Kayajanian.
With most of the defense back, Orange has been able to focus much of its personnel efforts on offense, where they’ll have to replace Carnell Perkins and Chris Rollins in the passing. Hunter will have the services of Shane Oehmke, a second team All-JD linebacker as a junior, and David Britten along the offensive line.
If they can pave the way for Hunter, Orange should challenge Monticello for supremacy in the Jefferson District.
Leatherwood finds success?
Leatherwood hasn’t been as fortunate as either Graham or Hunter with regards to his supporting cast.
Despite a well-rounded athletic resume that includes a trip to the regional playoffs in basketball last season as well as Jefferson District player of the year honors, Leatherwood’s football career took a frustrating turn last season during a 2-8 campaign.
But that has the potential to change for Charlottesville this season with new head coach Chris Fraser at the helm. Fraser knows how to take advantage of dynamic athletes — he did just that with Virginia Tech freshman Dyrell Roberts at Smithfield High.
Fraser tailored the offense around his star running back, which is why he was wary about labeling himself with any particular system when he arrived. With Leatherwood in the fold, though, it became pretty obvious that a spread-style system would play to the senior’s strengths. The adjustment has at least one fan.
“The offense is improved,” Leatherwood said. “It’s [more suited] for our skill set. I’m more excited about it, and we’re just trying to get ready and learn the offense a little better.”
Thoughts of last year’s dismal record also quickly became a thing of the past. Fraser has made it clear that he’s at Charlottesville to win now, not rebuild a program.
“Morale is up this year. At our scrimmage, everybody came out fired up — the most excited I’ve seen them since I’ve been here,” Leatherwood said.
With Leatherwood leading the way, resurgence may be around the corner at Charlottesville where the Black Knights should get stronger and stronger as the year goes on.
With Graham, Hunter and Leatherwood at the helm of three Jefferson District squads, spectators should enjoy fireworks and firepower all fall.