Jan 21, 2026 2 min read

Observer-Reporter

Peters Township quarterback Nolan DiLucia was named one of five finalists for the Willie Thrower Award on Wednesday.

The award recognizes the top quarterback in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Other finalists are Avonworth’s Carson Bellinger, North Catholic’s Joey Felitsky, Upper St. Clair’s Ethan Hellman and Pine-Richland’s Aaron Strader.

They are invited to a luncheon at the Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington on March 28 where the winner will take home a 29-pound replica of the Willie Thrower statue that sits inside of Valley High Memorial Stadium in New Kensington.

This is the sixth year for the award, which is named after the late Willie Thrower, the first Black quarterback to appear in an NFL game with the Chicago Bears in 1953. Thrower began his career by helping lead the former New Kensington High School to WPIAL titles in 1946 and ’47, along with a runner-up finish in 1945. He was also the first Black quarterback in the Big Ten Conference, contributing to Michigan State’s 1952 national championship.

The finalists were selected from balloting by a 70-person panel consisting of two coaches from each WPIAL conference and the Pittsburgh City League, media members who cover high school football on a regular basis and game-night field officials. Receiving votes were 27 quarterbacks from WPIAL schools, the City League and schools that play an independent schedule.

DiLucia will look to become the second Washington County quarterback to win the Thrower award. Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg won it last year.

Other winners were Pine-Richland’s Cole Spencer (2020), Armstrong’s Caden Olsen (’21 and ’22) and Central Catholic’s Peyton Wehner (’23).

DiLucia, a Villanova recruit, passed for 2,782 yards, which ranked second in the entire WPIAL this season, and had 22 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He led Peters Township to its second WPIAL Class 5A title in three years. The Indians rallied from a 19-0 halftime deficit to stun Pine-Richland, 20-19, in the 5A championship.