Lutheran's young QB handles it like a veteran

Orange Lutheran is in good hands next year. Last season's Southern Section Pac-5 and State Division II bowl champion got an early start in turning over the reins to quarterback Bobby Wheatley, who was called upon early in the second quarter Friday night to take over for injured starter Blake Hyepock.

Wheatley had zero reps with the first unit during the week.

But with a tick over six minutes left in the game and at his own 32, the sophomore directed the Lancers down the field, within inches of upsetting top-seeded Long Beach Poly in the Pac-5 Division semifinal at the Home Depot Center.

Then, with the game on the line, staring into the eyes of Jurrell Casey and a whole den of defensive lions, Wheatley turned into the oncoming fullback, Jeremiah Pemasa. Then he dropped the ball as he was trying to deliver it to the tailback, Ricky Pemasa. Jackrabbit Herman Davidson recovered with 17 seconds left, and Poly had a 2-0 victory.

Wheatley had played well, but it was after the game that he showed his real mettle, when he pulled his tear-stained cheeks off his father's shoulder.

"It's all my fault. It's completely on me," said Wheatley, who completed nine of 17 passes for 72 yards and one interception. "Everyone did their job. I didn't come through. Mishandled the hand-off. It's a basic play. We run it all the time. I really let my guys down.

"I ran into the fullback, first of all. The timing was off between me and Rick."

It was poignant. Wheatley's probably 15 years old, maybe 16, taking full responsibility. Moments earlier, his coach, Jim Kunau, said, "We don't make excuses." And now, one his students was proving it true.

It was hard not to come away impressed by the kid, who came into the game having completed 20 of 27 passes. He stood in there against a killer defense and then he stood in there against some reporter wanting to ask him about what was probably the most cruel moment of his life.

"Blake (Hyepock) has been our guy all year," Wheatley said. "Obviously, I was hoping he would come back.
But if the coaches put me in, I'm going to play."

Kunau didn't blame Hyepock's sprained ankle. He praised Wheatley and his teammates for getting close enough to be disappointed in the most severest form.

"It was difficult because at the end it was an unforced error, kind of a freak accident," Kunau said. "Our guys played extremely hard. They played like champions going down the field. It was a do-or-die deal, and they did."

My suspicion is that Wheatley's going to get more chances in the spotlight. I'm sure he'll prove himself to be The Man.

Because he already acts like one.

-- Martin Henderson