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HIGH SCHOOL

Pike’s Derek Hawthorne enjoying being back on field

Kyle Neddenriep
kyle.neddenriep@indystar.com

There may not be a high school football player in the state poised to have as much fun this season as Derek Hawthorne.

The Pike senior quarterback returned to the field after his first year away from football since kindergarten. Not only that, Hawthorne has a host of speedy skill position players around him. As first-year Pike coach Jimmy Graves says: “Get it to the guys who can wiggle with it.”

The 6-2, 190-pound Hawthorne can do that – and some. In a 55-34 season-opening win on Friday, he passed for 366 yards and five touchdowns to outshine Brownsburg junior Hunter Johnson, a Tennessee recruit who is widely considered the nation’s No. 1 quarterback in his class.

Hawthorne’s self-evaluation? He was OK. A little rusty.

“I feel like I did pretty good for my first varsity game,” he said. “I felt like I could have played better. Our receivers are quick and fast, so they put me in good position to throw the ball. That helps a lot. But I think I’ll be better (than Friday).”

Hawthorne’s name may sound familiar. His father, also named Derek, was a two-time all-city quarterback at Howe and earned all-state honors as a senior after the 1986 season. Hawthorne Sr. went on to be a four-year letterman as a safety at Louisville and had one of his seven career interceptions in a 1991 Fiesta Bowl win over Alabama.

Basketball also runs in the Hawthorne blood. Senior was a starting guard for Howe’s 1986 team that won a sectional and the 1987 City championship as a senior. The Hornets didn’t win another City title until last season.

“If I had to choose one or the other, I probably would have picked basketball,” Hawthorne Sr. said of the two sports.

His son’s favorite sport is also basketball, which played a role in his absence from the football team last season. Hawthorne, who averaged 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds for Pike’s sectional title team as a junior, said he took the year off to focus on basketball. That came after a sophomore season when he didn’t play as much on the junior varsity football team as expected and was stuck behind Beau Trudeau, whose father Jack was the quarterbacks coach.

When Graves, the former Pike offensive coordinator, was named to replace departing Derek Moyers as head coach, Hawthorne jumped at the chance to return. It came with some good-natured hazing from his coach.

“It was disappointing (he didn’t play), but you live and you learn,” Graves said. “You never throw a kid away. He’s come back and he’s doing great. He’s a big kid, a physical kid and he’s not afraid. He has a really strong arm. We put a lot of stuff in his hands and he’s picking it all up. The biggest asset right now is that he’s smart.”

And he has help. Johnny William, a senior receiver, had 862 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last season and had two TD receptions in the opener. Anytime William is covered one-on-one, Hawthorne knows where the ball needs to go.

“I’m just trying to get to the end zone every time I touch it,” William said.

Hawthorne has other weapons at receiver in Trae Allen — “he makes those Chris Berman, ‘woot, woot’ noises when he catches it,” Graves said — as well as senior Kendall Sprowl and slot receiver Michael Cheeseborough. The running back position was a question mark, but sophomore Cameron Peterson and junior Davario Reed both played well in the opener.

“It helps Derek because he has so many weapons around him,” Graves said. “We have so many guys to get the ball to.”

Hawthorne is happy to have the chance. He went to every Pike game last season as a spectator.

“I missed football a lot,” he said. “Now that I’m a senior, I know I have to step up.”

Hawthorne said he still sees basketball as the sport he’ll play in college, though he’s open to considering football if the opportunity arises. He’s receiving mostly Division II and junior college attention right now as a basketball prospect.

“I think it’s pretty even as far as (his talent in) football and basketball,” Hawthorne Sr. said. “He’s probably a little off the radar but he’s been playing with guys like (Tech guard) C.J. Walker since he was little. Everyone mentioned how calm he looked Friday, but he’s been playing quarterback since kindergarten. He just has to shake the rust off a little bit.”

Hawthorne and Co. figure to face a more difficult assignment on Friday against a Fishers defense that blanked North Central 28-0 last week. But despite the 366-yard, 55-point outburst in the opener, Graves believes the best is in front of Hawthorne and the Pike offense.

“This offense can evolve based on the quarterback,” Graves said. “We’re going to throw the ball quick and get the ball out of his hands. If we can throw the ball 10 to 15 yards to our guys, we’ll have a chance.”

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

UNDER-THE RADAR QUARTERBACKS

While area quarterbacks like Avon’s Brandon Peters, Brownsburg’s Hunter Johnson and Southport’s Luke Johnston are well known, there are a number of talented signal-callers like Pike’s Hawthorne who are talented but lesser known. Here’s a look at five area quarterbacks who started strong and will make some noise this season:

Chase Andries, Beech Grove: Andries had a monster sophomore year, accounting for 2,906 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. He started off his junior season with 219 passing yards and three TDs in a 74-21 rout of Lutheran.

Zach Eaton, Fishers: Eaton might not put up huge numbers but he’ll likely be one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the area. The senior was 10-for-17 for 161 yards and three TDs in a 28-0 win over North Central.

Ryan Pepiot, Westfield: The senior started last season (1,757 passing yards) and helped the Shamrocks to a 7-5 record and a Class 5A sectional title. He passed for 229 yards and ran for 42 in a season-opening win over Harrison.

Gynson Robley, Indian Creek: The 6-3 senior, coming off a 1,810-yard, 23-touchdown season, had 275 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 41-20 win over Knightstown last week.

Zach Summeier, Warren Central: Remember the name. The Warren Central junior showed off a strong and accurate arm in a 42-38 loss to Warren Central, going 18-for-22 passing for 223 yards and three touchdowns.