Ryan McMahon is the latest in special spot as Mater Dei quarterback

Hunching over center at the Edison passing tournament Saturday, quarterback Ryan McMahon of Santa Ana Mater Dei barked, “White heat, white heat.”

He acted as though he knew what he was doing, which is big news considering he is the heir apparent for one of the most coveted and demanding positions in Southern California high school sports.

Playing quarterback at a school that has its own Heisman Lane is not for beginners. McMahon, a standout baseball player, has stepped in this summer at quarterback and given every indication with his intelligence, accuracy and composure that he can be a capable passer and leader.

“This summer, I’ve taken on a student role with my coach telling me to learn and take everything in and don’t make the same mistakes,” the 6-foot-2, 170-pound junior said.

Veteran Coach Bruce Rollinson has been impressed with McMahon’s progress, and he can’t wait until summer baseball season ends because McMahon has been doing a balancing act going from football practice to playing in baseball games.

“You’re just kind of glad when summer is over because you put the baseball glove away and commit to football and then you see what you got,” Rollinson said.

In early June, just after baseball season ended, McMahon showed up and guided Mater Dei to a runner-up spot at the Dana Hills tournament, losing to Long Beach Poly in the final. It was surprising how well he did after having little football practice time.

On Saturday, his arm looked stronger and his confidence continued to grow, but the Monarchs still lost to Poly in the championship game of the Edison tournament. A two-point conversion attempt on the final play came up short for the Monarchs.

But it was another sign that McMahon’s development as a quarterback is on schedule.

He will have lots of challenges ahead, dealing with media, expectations and fan attention.

“He’s a very smart kid and I think he’s capable of handling it,” Rollinson said. “It’s a little different breed of cat when you’re stepping into the shoes of the Matt Leinarts and Matt Barkleys. We’ve had some great quarterbacks, and hopefully he’s the next one in line.

“But there’s a whole lot of things that have to get into line before we start putting him on that pedestal. But his work ethic is tremendous and his ability is there.”

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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