Conner Preston is Serra’s not-so-secret weapon

The guy who plays quarterback at Wide Receiver High could be the school’s greatest catch.

Gardena Serra was already a small-school power before Conner Preston arrived, stocked with top-flight receivers and a quarterback who took the Cavaliers deep in the playoffs.

Enter the widely unknown transfer from Palisades.

“When Conner came in, he amped it up,” Serra Coach Scott Altenberg said.

In two years with Preston at quarterback, the Cavaliers have gone 29-0, won two Southern Section titles and are bidding for a second consecutive state championship bowl victory Saturday at the Home Depot Center. They play Folsom in the Division II game.

Can you hear him now?

“He’s better than some college juniors at big schools,” said Tom Martinez, a quarterbacks coach who has worked with Tom Brady since the New England Patriots star was 13 and Preston since the summer before his freshman year of high school.

Start with the statistics. Preston has completed 66.2% of his passes in his two years at Serra for 6,945 yards and 86 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. His proficiency helped receivers Robert Woods and George Farmer secure scholarship offers from USC and Paul Richardson land an offer from UCLA.

“Without Conner, we wouldn’t be getting the ball,” said senior receiver Marqise Lee, who also is being pursued by several major college programs.

Preston also helped the Cavaliers conquer their greatest foil. In the two years before Preston arrived, Serra’s season had ended in blowout playoff losses to Westlake Village Oaks Christian.

Preston wasn’t frightened by the Lions, having been part of a middle school team that twice defeated many of the same players on Oaks Christian’s roster. When the teams met in the title game in 2009 for a second consecutive year, Preston savored the opportunity.

“I felt like no matter what I did last season,” Preston said, “if we didn’t beat Oaks Christian then it was just another waste.”

Though he threw for more than 200 yards and three touchdown passes against the Lions, his biggest play went for one yard. With Serra trailing by six points in overtime, the Cavaliers reached Oaks Christian’s one-yard line.

Altenberg called for a quarterback sneak and Preston bulled ahead for the touchdown. The extra point was good and Serra had ended the Lions’ streak of 28 playoff victories.

“Everything happened to be perfect, like a movie,” Preston said.

Anyone who thinks Preston’s success is solely a function of having such heralded receivers should consider the quarterback’s game against Paso Robles in the Western Division semifinal. Preston threw for five touchdowns — none going to Farmer or Lee — during the Cavaliers’ 41-23 triumph.

“He calls his own protections, he’s doing things that some juniors in college haven’t done yet and he’s very intelligent,” said Martinez, the quarterbacks coach. “The only thing lacking is he’s not 6-4.”

At 6 feet 1, Preston is a touch shorter than most major college coaches would like. Thus, he hasn’t been inundated with scholarship offers despite his strong arm and an impeccable resume that includes making Tom Lemming’s list of the top 25 pro-style high school quarterbacks.

Altenberg said Oregon State has shown some interest and Cincinnati is making a late push, but for now Preston remains committed to Southern Methodist. That means he could end up playing in a spread offense similar to what Serra runs.

Or, he could end up at West Point.

Preston secured an appointment to the service academy after fulfilling his high school graduation requirements Friday, a full semester ahead of schedule. He has a 4.42 grade-point average and could follow in his father’s footsteps by opting for the Army.

“If he plays football, he’s going to play football for SMU,” said Alan Preston, who spent 37 months in Vietnam as a Green Beret in the Special Forces. “If he goes to West Point, it’s a life choice, not a football choice.”

Alan Preston said his son was leaning toward SMU.

“I’ve been there three times,” Conner Preston said, “and I just fell in love with the campus and the system and how it will showcase me as a quarterback.”

ben.bolch@latimes.com