Film doesn’t lie, Brumbaugh’s the best
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter ¬ South Fayette's Brett Brumbaugh broke two WPIAL records Friday night. Brumbaugh broke the WPIAL most passing yards and touchdown passes on Friday, October 3.
Brett Brumbaugh is quick to congratulate his teammates for his success. Here he acknowledges Hunter Hayes after he rushed for the first touchdown in a 28-16 win against Dunmore in the PIAA championship game.
South Fayette quarterback Brett Brumbaugh compiled 45-2 record as a starting quarterback.
Improvement made by a quarterback is often measured by statistics. When it comes to South Fayette senior Brett Brumbaugh, the scope of how far he has come from his freshman season can be seen in one play during the PIAA Class AA championship against Dunmore.
With the Lions leading 21-16 early in the fourth quarter, Brumbaugh took a five-step drop in a spread formation. Those watching the tactician at work could see his head turn to each possible receiver.
Brumbaugh surveyed the field from right to left. Seeing his first three options were not open, the senior turned back to his right and found sophomore Dan Trimbur streaking to the end zone on a slant route with a safety trailing five yards behind him. Brumbaugh threw a perfect pass downfield for a 37-yard touchdown that sealed the program’s second consecutive PIAA Class AA title – a first in state history in that classification.
Instead of forcing a throw into tight coverage, Brumbaugh quickly went to his final progression.
”The corner jumped Logan, and most kids would have still thrown that ball,” South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi said. “You could see him check down from one to two to three and he finally went to four. That’s tough to do. A lot of high school kids don’t do that. They’ll take off, get scared and just run.”
It did not always look easy for the 6-4 passer. Once again, teams mixed coverages and dropped several players to defend the pass in the PIAA playoffs. The lessons learned during 47 starts – games in which South Fayette went 45-2 – paid dividends as Brumbaugh’s career progressed.
As a freshman, he threw seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He finished his career with 127 career touchdown passes, while completing 63 percent of his throws. The Duquesne commit helped South Fayette capture its third WPIAL title in five years and its second state title.
”In my freshman and sophomore years or even the beginning of my junior year, I wasn’t even thinking about those reads and wasn’t expecting those guys to get open,” Brumbaugh said. “In that title game, I trusted my offensive line and was able to find that last person.”
Observer-Reporter Player of the Year. He stamped his legacy with countless records and accolades, but it’s how he handled the swarm of attention that stood out to his coaches and teammates.
Nobody would have blamed Brumbaugh for being satisfied with his 2013 season after he threw for 3,917 yards and 41 touchdowns while leading South Fayette to Heinz Field and Hershey.
That was not enough. With two 1,000-yard receivers gone, Brumbaugh wanted to ensure he could “pull the trigger quicker,” by perfecting his release. Though college coaches told him it was a bit slow, that was not the reason he worked with South Fayette offensive coordinator Andrew DiDonato and quarterbacks coach Shane Patterson on his mechanics.
Brumbaugh has also embraced the mental aspect of football over the past two years. This fall, whenever homework or studying was complete, he’d pull out his phone or laptop to watch game or practice footage on Hudl, software that offers tools for coaches and athletes to review game film.
The results show.
”It’s amazing that as a young man in high school, how much (Brett) understands the game of football,” DiDonato said. “You see the arm on Friday nights and you see his skill set, but his mind is unbelievable.”
Rossi and his staff can track how many hours any player logs on the website. As expected, his quarterback took advantage of the easy access to an opponent’s game plan – spending countless hours watching play after play. It expanded his knowledge of the game and his ability to read a defense.
He did not always watch film with an analytical approach. As a freshman and sophomore, understanding how to utilize the practice was difficult. Times have changed.
”It made the game a lot easier and it slowed things down,” Brumbaugh said. “Before the snap to see where guys or lined up or who creeps up. I know what route is going to come open, make the read and go from there. You get to see where you can attack.”
During his middle school years, Brumbaugh served as a ball boy for South Fayette’s football team. He witnessed his brother, Christian, spark the resurgence of the Lions’ program to a WPIAL title and PIAA title game appearance.
He saw how the 2010 Lions defied all odds and bring joy to the community. It made him and his classmates hungry to carry on the legacy of South Fayette football.
It drove him to become the state’s all-time leading passer and fostered a relentless desire for greatness. As he prepares to embark on a career at Duquesne, Brumbaugh can rest easy knowing the program is in good hands and that his mark has been made.
”It’s exciting to know we had an impact on the program,” Brumbaugh said. “Our grade really wanted to come together and put South Fayette on the map. We wanted to win a state title and we won two. It’s a feeling that’s really hard to describe, but it’s something I’ll be able to cherish for the rest of my life.”