“If you’re a quarterback, you want everything on your shoulders.”

That quote by Tom Brady rings true for most quarterbacks, especially the veteran signal callers.

In the Times News area this season, three senior quarterbacks will be taking the field for what will be the final drive of their high school gridiron careers — Northwestern’s Shane Leh, Lehighton’s Jayce Lawrence, and Jim Thorpe’s Cole Lazorick — with the trio expected to have big seasons for their respective ball clubs.

Northwestern Lehigh’s Shane Leh has already put together a tremendous career for the Tigers. Leh, last season’s Times News Offensive Player of the Year, threw for 1,583 yards with 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Leh was also effective with his feet, rushing for 401 yards and eight touchdowns.

In his career, Leh has thrown for 3,316 yards and 47 passing scores. He’s also rushed for 748 yards and 16 rushing scores. While under center, Leh has helped the Tigers to a combined 31-1 record the past two seasons, and to back-to-back PIAA 3A state championship appearances, with the Tigers winning it all a season ago.

“Shane had a fantastic sophomore season and then he parlayed that into a great junior season for us as well,” said Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder. “The way he finished off the season in the postseason, especially in the state playoffs, was tremendous.

“During the regular season we would get off to such fast starts that we didn’t really need to throw the ball or put too much on his plate. But then obviously in the state playoffs, you’re going to need to be more balanced against that level of competition and he delivered.

“Going into this season, he is faster and stronger; he has put on 30 pounds of muscle. We’re going to depend on him to run the ball for us more and help us carry the load a bit there. We’re also really excited about our passing game with the veteran receivers we have coming back. Shane is a veteran. He’s a leader. His command of the offense is tremendous. We’re excited to see him get out there and perform.”

Lehighton quarterback Jayse Lawrence came on strong for the Indians late in the 2024 season. And as Lawrence got better, so did the Tribe.

Lawrence helped the Indians to finish the season on a high note with big wins over Tamaqua and Jim Thorpe and an upset victory over Blue Mountain in the District 11 4A playoffs. Once Lawrence settled in, so did the Lehighton offense as it averaged 35 points per game in those victories. On the season, Lawrence finished with 1,247 yards passing with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while rushing for 553 yards and six touchdowns.

“Later in the year, we really opened it up for Jayse. I think we could have done that earlier in the year, but when you have a new player taking over the quarterback position, you try not to put a lot on his plate. That probably wasn’t the best approach, because once we did do that, he really responded,” said Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll. “Jayse is a really good dual-threat quarterback. Last season, you definitely saw that when we started to incorporate him more into our running game.

“This offseason he has really grown. He’s very confident, and he is extremely comfortable running the offense. He has become like a coach on field for us and has really turned into a great leader for us. I’ve also been impressed with his progression from a skill level. He’s throwing to guys open. He’s making the more difficult throws and he’s putting the ball in the tough spots, and he’s doing it with confidence. He played his best in some of our biggest moments last season.”

Jim Thorpe quarterback Cole Lazorick might be the most entertaining quarterback to play in the Times News area over the past few seasons. A dynamic athlete, Lazorick’s speed combined with his ability to make off-schedule throws with his strong arm can certainly fill up the highlight reel.

Last season, Lazorick finished with 2,059 yards passing with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 368 yards and eight touchdowns. In his career, Lazorick has thrown for 3,966 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,213 yards with 18 rushing scores.

“Cole is unquestionably our leader,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger. “He has done a great job this offseason of working with our young receiving core, being patient with them and coaching them up. Cole is one of the best leaders we have had in the Jim Thorpe football program during my time here.

“He’s a true dual-threat player. One of the best around. His speed is impressive as he’s been running in the 4.5 range this offseason. He’s a dangerous weapon and his overall understanding of the position and mastery of the position has improved immensely as well.

“We expect him to have a huge year for us.”