Nogales Quarterback Not Just a Passing Fancy : Prep: Jimmy Hunter has passed for only 307 yards, but he has rushed for 940.

When it comes to passing a football, quarterback Jimmy Hunter of Nogales High in La Puente is the first to admit that he has never posed much of a threat.

It has been more like a whimper of protest.

In 10 games this season the 17-year-old Hunter has completed only 37 of 107 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns, not impressive statistics.

But it is not Hunter’s passing that has caught the eye of college scouts. It is his ability to run.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior is regarded as the top option quarterback in the San Gabriel Valley, one of the best in Southern California.

In 10 games Hunter has rushed for 940 yards and seven touchdowns in 103 carries--a healthy average of 9.1 yards. In his two-year career Hunter has rushed for 1,565 yards and 12 touchdowns in 176 carries--an average of 8.9 yards.

He has left a lasting impression on Coach Brian Beveridge, who is in his first year with the Nobles after nine years at Northview in Covina.

“He’s one of the most talented quarterbacks I’ve ever coached,” Beveridge said. “I think he’s one of the finest athletes I’ve ever seen. When you talk about him you think about athletic ability. There are a couple of runs he’s made this season that were just awesome to see.”

Blazing speed has a lot to do with his success. His 40-yard dash time has been clocked at 4.5 seconds--not your typical clocking for a quarterback.

“That’s one of the main things (speed) because even when you’re not running the option you have a chance to get away from a rush with your speed,” Hunter said. “Speed helps out our linemen, too.”

But speed is not Hunter’s only asset, according to Beveridge.

“He understands football,” Beveridge said. “He’s always into the game. He shows a lot of smarts with the plays he calls. He’s got a very good grasp of the game, and with his natural speed and instincts, he’s just a very good football player.”

Hunter admits that there are times when his running hurts him:

“I think I still think too much like a running back. Sometimes, when I’m supposed to pitch it I don’t. I just like running the ball.”

He said his preference as a running quarterback goes back to watching college games as a child.

“My dad taught me how to do it. I used to watch Nebraska and Oklahoma (both with running quarterbacks) on TV, but when I played I was always at running back.”

His first season in high school he was a running back on the freshman team. As a sophomore he cracked the varsity as a reserve quarterback, although he later switched to wide receiver. “They asked me to play quarterback but I didn’t get to play there, so I just played receiver.”

At the start of his junior season, Hunter was the No. 2 quarterback when he received his lucky break. In the third game Hunter was put in because of an injury to starter Rocky Chavira, and he hasn’t come out of the starting lineup since.

Hunter had an immediate impact as the Nobles reached the playoffs, although he was more of an afterthought on the All-Sierra League team.

“I only made honorable mention, and I think that was because nobody knew who I was,” he said. “I just came in mid-season. No one knew I was going to start. I didn’t even know.”

He said he has used the slight as inspiration for this season.

“That was one of my goals for this season--to make the all-league team. I know (Baldwin Park quarterback Richard) Robles will make one of the spots, but I hope to get one too.”

Hunter was also overlooked last season because the Nobles had another pretty good back, runner Daryl Green, who made All-CIF Division IV and was The Times San Gabriel Valley Back of the Year.

“That didn’t bother me so much, because I knew Daryl was a good player and I didn’t plan on getting any attention,” he said. “I came in and did the best I could, and I knew it was Daryl’s senior year and he wanted to do well.”

Hunter is happy to be a center of attention this season, having led the Nobles (5-4-1) into the Division IV playoffs once again. Nogales visits Palm Springs in its playoff opener Friday night.

“This year I’m getting a little more (attention) and it feels good,” he said.

“In preseason, when there was an article written on our team it made me up to be bigger than I was--a marked man or something. But it doesn’t bother me. I just try to do the best I can and hopefully we can come out with a win.”

Not that he is not receiving special attention from opponents.

“He’s going up against teams that are geared to stopping him,” Beveridge said. “Baldwin Park was geared toward stopping him. You could tell by the way they lined up.”

But while opponents are displaying great respect for Hunter’s running, the same cannot be said when he drops back for a pass.

It’s not as if Hunter can’t pass the football.

“He’s got a strong arm and if he’s not pressured he can really throw the ball,” Beveridge said. “He threw well in our summer passing league games. He’s just the kind of quarterback who likes to run with the football.”

Added Hunter: “We’ve worked on it a lot. But it’s just my instincts that when they pressure me I start to run. There have been times that I could throw the ball and complete it, but I don’t think like a quarterback sometimes. I just want to run the football.”

Despite his problems as a passer, Hunter is still a prized commodity in the eyes of college recruiters.

He said he has received numerous letters and phone calls from schools and that Oregon, Washington State, Arizona and Mississippi appear interested.

He wouldn’t hesitate to go to school out of state.

“I’ve been out here for 17 years and I think it’s time to go see the world,” he said. “I think I’ll miss it, but I think it will be good to leave for a while.”

He also realizes that his advancement into college may bring a change in position.

Hunter said recruiters haven’t specified what position they want him to play, although he is pretty sure it will not be quarterback.

“I’d be happy to play cornerback in college,” he says. “I’ll probably end up on defense or at receiver.

“I know I can play receiver. I think I have pretty good hands.”

He has also excelled as a cornerback, where he has intercepted three passes.

“I haven’t played much defense, but I’ve tried to help the team as much as I can,” he said. “It’s fun (playing defense) because I like to hit people. That’s what it’s all about. It’s nice to be on the other side for a change and to be the hitter--not the one that gets hit.”

But Beveridge, for one, thinks that Hunter could also make a pretty good option quarterback in college.

“If he ever got in with an option team, he’d have a lot of potential there,” he said. “It would totally do away with his ability as a (passing) quarterback, but he would be a very good option-type quarterback.”