Western PA has a long, rich history of churning out great NFL signal callers.  Any true “Yinzer” knows any quarterback conversation begins and ends with the “legend” Dan Marino. Marino is the cover boy for gunslingers and drips western PA swag.  When people start throwin’ salt in Marino’s game about him not winning the Super Bowls, then you throw Ringold High School legend, Joe Montana in their face and it’s over.

Everyone knows Western PA is known for having guys that can chuck the rock, but over the past few decades we haven’t had any big-time quarterbacks come from our Western PA neighborhoods. Eastern PA has even put some guys out like Joe Flacco that has Yinzers scratching their heads.

The batch of QB’s that have come out of Western PA the last two years may have something to say after they write their stories in college football and perhaps NFL history. Below are some of Preps.com’s favorite signal callers that have come out of Western PA the past few years that may make some noise at the next levels.

Probably one of the biggest steals of the 2013 recruiting class was Michigan State quietly stealing Damion Terry from the entire Big 10. Terry, a PA state champ is being thrown in the fire in Spartan Country and will be competing for the starting job Day 1. Terry has the big-time arm and is also very mobile. Michigan State may have a 4-year-starter on their hands. His mobility is really what makes him special. This gives Michigan State options on how they want to run their offense and I’m sure lots of people will be smiling pretty soon up in East Lansing.

First thing that comes to mind when you say Central Catholic is “quarterback” and that’s exactly what they’ve been churning out. Perry Hill went to his dream school of Maryland and immediately showed he belonged, before he had his tragic season-ending knee injury and was sidelined for the season. Perry is right back where he started at Maryland, since Coach Edsall named CJ Brown the Day-1 starter.  Perry showed he could play at a pretty high level, so look for him to find his way on the field somewhere and become an impact player.

Since we’re talking Central Catholic, we may as well introduce you to the Vikings general returning starter JJ Cosentino. JJ has a Tom Brady-like approach to the game and has a rocket of an arm. No water pistols around here buddy, Cosentino’s arm is more like a sawed-off shotty. He’s headed down to Tallahassee, but when you see him throw the ball he has Michigan, Notre Dame, or Penn State written all over him. Jimbo has a couple quarterbacks in the league right now, so you know he knows what he’s doing, so keep an eye on JJ.  He has a great one to learn from in Winston.  Let’s see if these two Vikings can joins the ranks of other great Central Catholic Alum.

Tom Woodson got jerked around by Arizona, but landed on his feet with Terry Bowden’s staff at Akron. Bowden is starting to make some noise in Akron with his recruiting as Woodson has a bazooka of an arm. Once a BCS school commit, he probably can light it up in the MAC if he finds some receivers and possibly get the Zip’s in the hunt for a MAC Championship.

Probably the most underrated player in the WPIAL last year was “Johnny Football 2.0” Mack Leftwich.  Don’t be surprised if you see the UTEP commit running around and throwing it for first downs in the west coast for new head coach, Sean Kugler.  Two-time state championship winner, Leftwich, is a born winner and already has a great rapport with head coach Kugler.  He may not have all the measurables everyone is looking for, but he has proven intangibles and don’t be shocked if you se some Russell Wilson-like performances out of him.

Chandler Kincade is the quiet one out of the bunch, but don’t forget that before he closed out his recruitment, he was one of the hottest prospects in the country as a freshman and sophomore.  Although he had a shoulder surgery don’t be surprised if you see him down the road being a top QB prospect out of this class.  With his 6’6’’ frame, I’m sure college coaches around the country weren’t upset that he was reopening his recruitment. Kincade, once a hooper is far more athletic than people give him credit for and also has never had legit playmakers to help him out offensively.

Preps.com will continue to keep you updated on all these quarterbacks as they progress through their career.