Coatesville's Hunt playing QB like a virtuoso

By PETER DiGIOVANNI
cpn11716@comcast.net

COATESVILLE -- Like it or not, the quarterback position is the most important on the football field. There are few successful teams that have average or below average signal callers. So much goes through the QB’s hands, it is paramount to have a talented individual at the helm.
The truly special ones have it all. They have a strong, accurate arm, can run the football effectively, make good, quick decisions and are the leaders of the offense.
Coatesville’s Emmett Hunt has all of those qualities and so much more. The numbers Hunt has put up this magical season are staggering. He has thrown for 2,982 yards, 43 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
If those numbers don’t knock you completely off your feet, how about guiding his team to Saturday’s PIAA Class AAAA championship game against North Allegheny. It will be Coatesville’s first trip to the state finals and look no further than Hunt to see why they are headed for Hershey.
“Emmett makes all the throws, he has a big-time arm and he makes such good decisions out there,” Coatesville head coach Matt Ortega said. “He is a true leader because all the kids have confidence in him and know that he is going to do the right thing.”
The right thing for Hunt was to sit behind Manny Stocker, now at North Carolina State, for the last two seasons. Hunt waited patiently and now has grabbed the opportunity by the throat and made the best of it, bursting onto the Pennsylvania quarterback landscape with a season for the ages.
Many Division 1 college programs are hounding the signal caller about playing for them next season. The offers have come in late because there was no film of Hunt from the last two seasons. But, now, they are lining up by the dozens.
“Me and coach Ortega will worry about that when the season is over,” Hunt said after a district quarterfinal win over Neshaminy. “Right now, I do not know where I will go to school, but there is plenty of time after the season is over. Right now, we just want to win the state championship.”
Hunt is also blessed with talented receivers like the underrated Chris Jones, Dre Boogs, Vinnie Williams and Jay Stocker. This deep receiving corps is like the high school version of the San Diego Chargers of the “Air Coyrell” days.
Watching Hunt lead these fleet footed receivers down the field with lazer like spirals that cannot be defended, is not something often seen at the high school level.
After Coatesville and Hunt downed West Chester Henderson, 28-6, in October, Warrior head coach Steve Mitten just shook his head in amazement at Hunt’s ability.
“He is just outstanding back in the pocket,” Mitten said. “ He just has great presence back there and his arm is so strong and accurate he is very difficult to defend.”
The Red Raiders will face a talented quarterback is his own right in North Allegheny’s Mack Leftwich. The Stephen F. Austin recruit has thrown for over 5,000 yards in two seasons.
But the man all Coatesville, and now, Pennsylvania football fans eyes will be on is Hunt. He will be the one to lead the Red Raiders to their dream of a state title. There is much pressure with the job of quarterback, but the cool Hunt sees it as another game.
“I am excited about it but I will just do what I do every week to prepare and play like I do every week.” he said after last week’s victory over La Salle.
Sounds like that is going to quite enough.