The area's top high school quarterbacks

By Bill Buchalter
Bright House Sports Network Analyst

Blake Bortles has been on fire the past two weeks.

Oviedo's senior quarterback has completed 27 of his last 30 passes for 611 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions. His completions rate is a sizzling 90 percent. He now has thrown 20 touchdown passes with games remaining against defensively strong Winter Springs for the district championship and against rival Lyman in a Seminole Athletic Conference test.

As good as those statistics get, Bortles ranks third in touchdown passes by quarterbacks up-and-down the I-4 corridor and from areas serviced by Bright House Sports Network.

Bortles trails Tampa Jefferson's Quentin Williams (22) and Land O Lakes' Stevie Weatherford, both with a state-leading 22. These two quarterbacks are on a collision course that could match them in the upcoming football playoffs if both keep passing like they have this fall.

Bortles also has four touchdowns, running for a grand total of 24, but even that whopping number trails Daytona Beach Seabreeze's Matt Thompson who has 19 passing touchdowns and seven running scores, totaling 26 touchdowns. Both Bortles and Thompson plus running back De'Ante Saunders of DeLand are candidates for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association's District 9 (Seminole/Volusia counties) Player of the Year.

District 10 (Orange/Osceola counties) honors went to Orlando Olympia QB Trevor Siemian who has 16 touchdown passes including three in the huge upset of Apopka last Friday night. FACA District 11 (Pasco/Hernando/Citrus/Lake and Sumter counties) MVP is QB Zack Wynn of New Port Richey Hudson who is making a run at the all-time Pasco County passing yardage record held by Drew Weatherford, Stevie's older brother.

Here are the Top 10 passing touchdown makers in the region:
1. Stevie Weatherford, Land O Lakes, 22;
1. Quentin Williams, Tampa Jefferson, 22;
3. Blake Bortles, Oviedo, 20;
4. C.J. Bennett, Tampa Alonso, 19;
4. Bill Embody, Tampa Carrollwood Day, 19;
4. Matt Thompson, Daytona Beach Seabreeze, 19;
7. Shaquille Bradford, St. Petersburg Boca Ciega, 18;
8. Taurean Austin, Tampa Hillsborough, 16;
8. Trevor Siemian, Orlando Olympian, 16;
10. Chris McKay, St. Petersburg Catholic, 15;
10. Josh Rembert, St. Petersburg Gibbs, 15;
10. Zack Wynn, New Port Richey Hudson, 15.