Friendly QB Dorsey takes game to another level

He was cocksure and bombastic, a braggart from Atlanta who boasted of 70-yard passes off his back foot and fence-splitting lasers courtesy of his right arm. Yes, D'Von Dorsey was quite the swashbuckler back then, when he moved North and walked onto Friendly High's varsity football team as a freshman.

What a difference three years makes.

"I was very immature my freshman year," said Dorsey, now a 6-foot-3, 220-pound rising senior at Friendly. "I didn't know how to work, I didn't know how to read defenses, I didn't watch film and I didn't know how to lead an offense. All I had was my arm, and I thought that would be [good enough]."

Simply put, it wasn't. Dorsey thought he would start right away, but he was so wildly inaccurate and inconsistent that Friendly stuck Sherrod Baltimore, a natural receiver/cornerback, under center. Dorsey saw only part-time action his first two years on varsity. He was the latest victim of Ryan Leaf syndrome: all potential, little substance.

But last summer Dorsey's demeanor changed. Sitting on the bench, watching Baltimore, he learned that intangibles like hard work and leadership meant something. He learned that humility is a more admirable quality then arrogance. He learned that physical tools are worth nothing unless you understand how to use them.

"His maturity level has increased exponentially," said Friendly coach Peter Quaweay. "He's become the consummate leader. He's in the weight room every day, he's in study hall every day, and on the field he brings a solemnity and calmness to the huddle. He takes charge."

Quaweay saw the change first hand during preseason practices last year. Instead of laughing and joking with his teammates, he began barking orders. He'd lead drills, direct receivers, correct mistakes - qualities expected of a starting quarterback. When Quaweay wanted to pick up the tempo, Dorsey effortlessly executed Friendly's spread offense, moving up and down the field like a plane on autopilot.

"D'Von is a natural leader," said Friendly running back Jordan Jacintho. "Everyone around him takes in what he says and listens to him. He's mellow off the field, but on it he's composed and intense. That rubs off on us."

"The difference is D'Von's become real humble," said Baltimore. "He has a lot of swagger to him - he knows how good he can be and how talented he is -- but he's humble about it and he works real hard for it. He works like he wants to be the best prospect in the state."

Considering his newly acquired humility, perhaps it's fitting that Dorsey's major breakthrough came in a devastating loss to Potomac in Week 4 last year. Dorsey threw three interceptions and completed just 5-of-14 passes in the 30-16 meltdown.

But something happened in the second half of that game. Something, as they say, "clicked."

After throwing three picks and falling behind 24-0 in the third quarter, Dorsey inexplicably morphed into Ben Roethlisberger. When the defense dropped back, he began firing pinpoint passes in-between the zone. When the defense blitzed, he pulled the ball down, eluded the rush and gashed them with his legs. He threw two touchdown passes and ran for two two-point conversions, bringing Friendly to within one touchdown late in the game.

"I don't know what it was, but I just felt I was ready," Dorsey said. "It wasn't all about arm strength anymore. I could thread the needle on short passes, I could read defenses, I could run. I took all of that into the Gwynn Park game."

Oh, the Gwynn Park Yellow Jackets. One of Friendly's most heated rivals, Gwynn Park hadn't lost to the Patriots in four years (Friendly forfeited a victory in the 2008 game). In 2009, the Jackets laid a 40-7 beatdown on the Patriots, handing them one of their most humiliating defeats in years.

This time would be different.

"All week long Dorsey was telling the guys, 'We're going to beat Gwynn Park and this is how we're going to do it,'" Quaweay said. "He had the kids believing they could win."

Dorsey watched more film then a movie critic before Oscar week, dissecting the Gwynn Park defense scheme by scheme. He stayed after practice with his receivers, making sure their timing was precise. He worked on his mechanics with his coaches, and afterwards he helped in formulating a game plan.

"He put it all on his shoulders," Jacintho said. "And he got it done."

At first blush, Dorsey's numbers weren't overly pretty (4-of-10 for 77 yards; 115 yards rushing), but eyewitnesses all concur: That's the game D'Von Dorsey showed his mettle.

"Because of his decision making," Quaweay said, "We won that game. He dominated."

Quaweay put so much trust in Dorsey that he practically allowed him to call his own game. The coach would send in a play, but the young quarterback was given free reign to audible based on what the defense showed. All game Dorsey checked in and out of plays, orchestrating the offense like Peyton Manning.

"I learned how to read a blitz, a cover-2, a cover-0," Dorsey said. "Most high school quarterbacks have no idea how to read a defense. I take a lot of pride in being able to do that and being able to change the plays."

Right before halftime, with Friendly ahead just 16-8, Quaweay called for a simple off-tackle run. But Dorsey noticed the Yellow Jackets' defense creeping in. What's more, they were in single-man press coverage with just one safety deep.

Dorsey began licking his chops. He quickly audibled to a deep pass for Baltimore, who he knew could beat his man with a double move.

At the snap, Dorsey sold the run with a play-action before pump-faking to draw in the safety. Baltimore, on cue, ran right by the cornerback and dashed wide open down the sideline. Dorsey lofted up a perfect pass, hitting the speedy receiver in stride for a 40-yard touchdown.

"The difference between last year and this year, the difference between us winning and losing, was Dorsey's ability to make calls and lead this offense," Quaweay said. "He was the key."

But while reading defenses and poise in the pocket all played a role in Dorsey's development, it's impossible to ignore his physical tools. There's a reason he's being forecast as a potential Division-I quarterback, and it has more to do with that right arm then film dissection.

"His arm is so ridiculous," Baltimore said. "There was this one play in practice where he threw a slant to [running back] Navon Hobby and Navon's pinkie got jammed all the way back. I mean, he can throw that thing 90 yards. And I'm not even joking."

Last year Dorsey -- who gets his natural arm strength from his grandfather and mother, who were both baseball pitchers -- "threw that thing" for over 1,500 yards total. To boot, he added 500 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns, making him a true duel-threat.

In fact, teammates and fans have taken to calling him "Cam," a reference to last year's dynamic Heisman Trophy winner, Mr. Newton.

"It's nice to be compared to him, but I'm like, 'Yo, I'm D'Von, not Cam,'" Dorsey said. "I'm a long way off from that. I still have work to do; I haven't done anything yet. I have zero state championships. I have zero offers."

Dorsey went on to critique his accuracy problems, his mechanical concerns and his footwork issues, outlining all that's keeping him from becoming an elite quarterback.

In a way, that's refreshing to hear. It's a far cry from the hotshot freshman, who believed he could do no wrong.

"I've watched D'Von since his freshman year," said Baltimore, who is heading to the University of Maine next year. "And I have little doubt - he's ready now. He has the mind of a champion. He has the drive to win here and at the next level."

What a difference three years makes.