Some Big-Time Athletes Play at the County’s Littlest Schools: JASON WHIELDON Orange Lutheran / Football

Jim Kunau, Orange Lutheran’s football coach, has a secret he’s been trying to keep from Jason Whieldon, his standout quarterback.

Whieldon is being watched, and closely, by college scouts.

But if you ask Whieldon, the county’s top-rated quarterback, he says matter-of-factly that no one is looking. He’s not surprised, he says, because he plays football at a relatively small school.

“I’ve gotten a few letters, but the kind that they send out to millions of kids,” Whieldon said. “I haven’t gotten any serious ones. But it’s not bothering me because it’s nothing I have control over.”

So why doesn’t Kunau tell him there are scouts from major Division I colleges, in addition to local Division III and community colleges, in the stands?

“I’m just trying to protect him right now,” Kunau said. “There are lots of schools with some serious interest. Some major schools have been calling, and as the season goes on, he is going to be heavily recruited. But right now I want to keep that away from him and then at the end of the season we can sit down and make a decision.”

That kind of care and concern for his athletes by Kunau is exactly what has kept the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Whieldon at Orange Lutheran. He could have transferred to a bigger school where scouts were sure to take note, but he says the thought never crossed his mind.

“Who knows what would have happened if I went somewhere else?” Whieldon said. “I might have had no chance elsewhere. The coaches here gave me a chance. I have the utmost respect for them and what they have helped me accomplish. [And] the friendships and relationships I have built would not be worth trading for anything.”

Whieldon’s rise is even more remarkable because he never played tackle football until his freshman year. After playing flag football for two years at Salem Lutheran Junior High, Whieldon decided to put on the pads. By his sophomore year, he was the Lancers’ starting quarterback.

Since then, Whieldon has made the most of his opportunity.

As a sophomore, he threw for 2,156 yards and 23 touchdowns. Last season, he led the county with a quarterback rating of 222.7, completing 66% of his passes for 2,507 yards and 27 touchdowns.

This season, the Lancers broke into the Orange County Sportswriters’ top 10 poll for the first time, debuting at No. 10 on Oct. 5. They moved to No. 5 after upsetting Woodbridge and this week they climb to No. 4, with a record of 6-0.

Whieldon sports a quarterback rating of 258.1, almost 70 points ahead of his closest challenger. He has completed 74% of his passes for 1,381 yards with 23 touchdowns and only one interception. And he has rushed for 521 yards in 61 carries with eight touchdowns.

In the Lancers’ game against Brethren Christian Friday, Whieldon played only one half, completing 15 of 18 passes for 259 yards and six touchdowns. He also carried the ball eight times for 110 yards and two scores.

Whieldon may be as talented on the basketball court as he is on the football field. Kunau expects scholarship offers to come rolling in for basketball too. Which sport will he choose?

“I’m really open-minded,” Whieldon said. “But it’s going to be hard to choose. All I know is that I love sports. I couldn’t picture my life without them, if I wasn’t recruited.”