Alfred Smith III is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Pinnacle High School for AZPreps365.com.

 

Pinnacle High School has recently become a hotspot for quarterbacks.

Sophomore Wyatt Horton is now ready to carry the baton.

"He knows it's a great responsibility to be the quarterback of Pinnacle High School and to follow in the footsteps of some truly great QBs," Pioneers offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Matt Hanshaw said.

Success is the expectation for the quarterback at Pinnacle.

The alumni room consists of storied players like J.D Johnson, who overcame heart ailments to come out of retirement at Michigan following a forced retirement.

Spencer Rattler, who broke Arizona's state record for passing yards as a senior in 2019, is now at South Carolina after starting his college career at Oklahoma.

Before Johnson and Rattler, Brian Lewerke, who just finished his time at Michigan State.

Undoubtedly, Pinnacle has produced big-time quarterbacks who continued their football careers at prestigious universities.

Horton unquestionably understands the responsibility and standard his predecessors have left behind -- and gracefully accepts it.

"I've always played QB because I always wanted to lead. I was just born that way," Horton said.

Horton impressed coaches enough to earn the starting position despite Pinnacle having a depth chart consisting of upper-level students.

Hanshaw described this year's Pioneer roster as "senior heavy."

That's an element of Horton's first-year journey as a starter that most would be surprised to find out that he's been quite prepared to embrace.

His eldest brother Cade Horton, a 2020 Pinnacle graduate, now plays college football at Saint Anselm. Cade said his younger brother always wanted to be with the older kids while growing up.

"Not many kids are doing what he's doing at his age, as far as preparing and looking to be that guy as a sophomore," Cade Horton said.

Wyatt Horton is a three-sport athlete, splitting duties between football, basketball, and baseball. Cade Horton described him as a "very talented golfer" but proclaimed Wyatt Horton wanted to be a quarterback from "day one."

The moment Wyatt Horton's love for the game arrived is a distant memory. However, he credits the bond between himself and his friends as a driving force in his passion for sports.

"We have a tight group of 8-10 friends that played everything together. Baseball, basketball, football, everything for the past eight years," Wyatt Horton said.

Those friends as a unit, combined with the guys on the football team, he describes them all as his "best friend."

Horton's relationships outside of football are vital and often leads him back to the game.

Relationships are a huge reason he chooses to indulge in sports.

"There are so many life lessons in the game of football that you take away," Horton said. "The brotherhood and the relationships you build are honestly life-changing."

Through his performance in the opener, Horton has already shown promise.

He led the Pioneers to a 43-6 win against El Camino High School in Oceanside, California. The 5-foot-11 Horton is a prepared, intelligent player capable of making plays with his arms and legs.

Great footwork and the ability to make accurate passes on the run are two skills highly regarded at the quarterback position.

When in a groove, Horton can make it look easy.

Hanshaw described Horton as "a relentless student of the game," crediting him with asking multiple questions about play calls and designs to genuinely grasp the why of the game.

The talent is there.

The mentality is there, but nothing is more promising than the vitality and youthfulness Horton brings to the Pioneers.

And he still has two years to develop at a school that has proven to elevate quarterbacks to high levels of success.