Reluctant Standout : Quarterbacking Skills Force Banning’s John Maae to Lead

John Maae has always preferred the safety of the shadows but his right arm has caused others to cast him in the spotlight enjoyed by quarterbacks.

“I just wanted to play receiver,” Maae said.

“He still doesn’t want to play quarterback,” Banning High Coach Joe Dominguez said with a laugh. “He tells me that all the time. He says, ‘Hey, can you put me out at split end or wide receiver?’ But he’s the most talented guy we have. We wouldn’t want to jeopardize him at another position.”

Maae is gradually accepting the quarterback role. But it has taken a while.

“Once I told the coach I didn’t feel like playing quarterback,” Maae said. “I wanted another position, but he said no. Now I know I can’t play another position because I can’t get injured because I’m the quarterback.”

With his destination settled, Maae now has his mind set on fulfilling expectations. That is why he’s spending this summer sharpening his passing skills. There is plenty of work to be done.

“He’s like a diamond in the rough,” Dominguez said.

For a long time, Maae wanted to be just another rock. Nothing special. Certainly not the center of attention.

But that changed last fall when former Banning Coach John Hazelton took a good look at Maae. Hazelton saw a 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore with good speed and a better arm. He saw a quarterback.

“It was one of those things that was very apparent to me,” Hazelton said.

So apparent that Hazelton handed the starting duty over to Maae in Banning’s second game. At age 15, Maae is too young to drive a car. But he was seen fit to drive an offense down a football field.

The ride wasn’t always smooth. Banning struggled to a 5-5 record, and Maae’s eyes were opened to the complexity of his new position.

“I thought the quarterback just went out there and just threw the ball,” Maae said.

Not so. Maae soon learned that as quarterback, he was in charge. He was the man. Credit and blame walk a fine line. It wasn’t always easy to understand.

“No,” Maae answers quickly when asked if he enjoys a quarterback’s responsibility. “I like to joke around. The players sometimes say, ‘Hey, you joke around too much.’ ”

“I think John was a little hesitant to assume the leadership role that goes along with quarterback,” Hazelton said. “He didn’t want the fortune of Banning High School resting on his shoulders. But I think he’ll grow into it.”

The coaches were also hesitant to dump too much on Maae too soon. He attempted just 92 passes in nine games, completing 58 for 708 yards and four touchdowns.

“We kept things simple in the beginning and tried to move on,” Hazelton said.

“I can understand why,” Dominguez said. “He was only a sophomore, and with a young guy you try to keep the things simple and bring him along slowly. I probably would have done the same thing.”

But keeping everything simple didn’t mean it was easy. There was still a lot for a first-year quarterback to learn.

“The most difficult thing is remembering all the plays,” Maae said. “Sometimes the receiver will come in and say the play, and I’ll look at him and say, ‘What did you say?’ You get nervous a lot.”

Maae must hide his nerves well. Both coaches said the sophomore’s mental toughness is as impressive as his budding physical tools.

“He has a sixth sense of what to do when the heat is on,” Hazelton said. “He’s not a panic guy.”

“He doesn’t seem to get too riled in pressure situations,” Dominguez said. “He’s awfully poised for a youngster. I don’t think you need a rah-rah type quarterback. You need a guy who keeps his composure and just executes.”

With strong poise in hand, Maae is hard at work trying to develop his physical talents to an equally mature level. He quarterbacks the Pilots on Wednesday evenings in the El Camino Passing League, a seven-on-seven touch league.

“For a guy like John, a passing league is the perfect environment for him,” Dominguez said. “It’s to develop your skilled people, your pass timing, your pass routes. You try to simulate game situations. Basically the players are there to develop skills. It’s a game, but it’s more like a controlled scrimmage.”

Maae played in passing leagues last summer and noticed the benefits.

“It helps a lot,” Maae said. “When you play a real football game and the line is there, it’s kind of hard to see the defensive backs. In the passing league you can see their weak points, what kind of defense they’re running and what’s the best pattern to run against that defense. That’s mainly what seven-on-seven is all about.”

Dominguez said passing against different defenses is just what his young quarterback needs. There’s no substitute for repetition.

“I think what he needs to do,” Dominguez said, “is get out there and look at various pass coverages and pick out the right guys to throw to.”

Finding someone to throw to is rarely a problem for Maae. When formal leagues aren’t running, coaches often organize scrimmages with other schools. Other times, teammates just gather together and toss the ball around.

The few times when receivers aren’t available don’t stop Maae. He has his imagination.

“Sometimes I go to the park and put cones down on the field,” he said. “I try to get a good aim and pretend that’s a receiver. In the summer, there’s nothing to do anyway but sit around and watch soap operas or cartoons.”