Offseason work has West QB Pizzuti playing like a senior leader

West Florence quarterback Paul Pizzuti entered the 2007 offseason knowing one thing: He had to improve.

Pizzuti and former Knight Jimmy Howell spent most of last season splitting time as the starting QB — and in the trainer’s room.

Lingering injuries to both signal callers forced the Knights to play musical chairs throughout the season, resulting in inconsistency.

West scored 215 points in 12 games last season, an average of 17.9 per game, and an average of just 12 in the Knights’ last eight games.

With that in mind, and with the reins to the Knights’ offense firmly in his hands, Pizzuti turned his entire attention to football.

And the Knights have reaped the benefits.

West’s scoring average jumped to 30.8 points per game this season, and the Knights have scored more than 30 points six times this season.

Pizzuti’s been a major factor, both through the air and on the ground. The senior has thrown for 1,316 yards and 12 touchdowns and has rushed for 606 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I didn’t play (American Legion) baseball this summer so I could work with my receivers every day and work on becoming a better quarterback,” Pizzuti said. “My receivers have improved, the offensive line has improved, and they deserve a lot of credit, too.

“We came into this season thinking we could surprise some people.”

Matt Connelly, a good friend of Pizzuti’s off the field, spent most of the summer alongside him and has become his favorite target.

“We threw together pretty much every day,” Connelly said. “Getting the timing down has been a big key for us, and Paul’s done a good job of that with all of his receivers.”

Pizzuti also spent a lot of the summer in passing leagues and working on his technique.

“I knew I had to throw the ball a lot better than I did last season,” Pizzuti said. “So I worked on making better throws, and I spent a lot of time in the weight room improving my arm strength and putting on as much muscle as I could.

“I knew I was going to have to run the ball a lot this year.”

With Pizzuti’s development, the Knights’ passing attack and playbook have opened up this season, and West coach Trey Woodberry has given him a lot more responsibility to shoulder in the offense.

“We’ve run the no-huddle a good bit this year and that’s helped us out a lot,” Woodberry said. “Paul takes what we signal in, calls the blocking scheme, tells the running back what to do, determine what motion we need and has decide whether to check off or not.

“He started out the year with a wristband, but he doesn’t even need that anymore.”

Pizzuti also benefitted from Woodberry’s football class and a better understanding of the game.

“Watching film has really been a big help this year,” Pizzuti said. “Knowing what to look for and how to attack a defense has opened things up in the passing game.

“I’ve made my share of mistakes, don’t get me wrong, but I think the offense has improved every game.”

Despite a rough three-game losing streak in the middle of the season, being able to compete against teams like Greenwood and Conway gave the Knights a boost of confidence, Pizzuti said.

“We were a Hail Mary away from being tied for the region championship,” he said. “No, we didn’t win, but we were right there with those teams and had a chance to beat Greenwood and Conway.

“That helped us in our last three must-win games. We knew what it was going to take.”

Pizzuti and the Knights now face an even greater challenge tonight at South Pointe. The Stallions have allowed just 50 points all season, and no more than 12 in any game.

“It’s an honor to face a great team like them,” Pizzuti said. “But we’ve come a long way this season and we expect to be playing in December.

“We’ve had a good week. Hopefully, it will end with an upset.”