2025 Pinnacle QB Wyatt Horton earned the ArizonaVarsity.com 6A Offensive Underclassman of the Year award by leading the Pioneers on an impressive playoff run to the 6A title game against Highland.
I asked other TeamAZV contributors to weigh in on Horton's special year, and what they expect from him moving forward:
Jacob Seliga on Wyatt Horton
"Wyatt is a gifted young quarterback. What’s so impressive is how calm he is under pressure. Horton was thrown into the fire of one of the toughest schedules in all of the state and thrived almost leading Pinnacle to an Open Division spot and a 6A conference championship. Unlike most young quarterbacks, Wyatt does a great job at not forcing passes that aren’t there and allowing his teammates to create plays naturally. He’s proven to be a winner already and has already shown the ability to take a team to the next step. His game will continue to develop with time and reps and he has a chance to be the first state champion quarterback at Pinnacle"
Chilly on Wyatt Horton
"Wyatt Horton had to be one of, if not the surprise player of 2022. He is dangerous when on the move, being a legitimate threat to keep it himself or pass the ball. He does a good job scrambling around, improvising, and making on-the-run throws that go deep down the field for a big completion. Horton is a talented QB that has a way of keeping control when things look out of control."
My Take on Wyatt Horton
It's really hard to tackle the subject of Wyatt Horton's future at Pinnacle without naming what he's up against. Earlier in the offseason, consensus #1 overall player and QB in the 2024 class, Dylan Raiola, transferred into the Pioneers program from Chandler.
Recruiting service rankings aren't based on high school production, nor college interest, but on NFL potential. As of now, everyone that gets paid to rank high school players for a living believes Raiola is destined to be a first round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
But high school football isn't the NFL. And based solely on performance as a high school quarterback in Arizona in 2022, there's no reason to believe that Horton isn't ready to compete with Raiola to retain the spot he seized as Pinnacle's starting QB last year.
The same starting spot that Head Coach Dana Zupke jokingly told Eliav Gabay of Sports360AZ.com he was a "dummy" for not believing Horton could hold down last year.
And as Cronkite journalist Alfred Smith III outlined for AZPreps365, a big reason he was able to thrive in the face of doubts was his relationships with teammates, and his family history within the Pinnacle program.
To win in high school, you have to give your receivers a chance to make a play, and you have to give your team as many opportunities to chip away on offense as possible. A big part of "chipping away" is avoiding sacks, and scrambling for positive yardage. I'm not sure anyone would confuse Wyatt Horton for a running back, but in every game but one in 2022 he averaged a minimum of five yards a carry when scrambling. That scrambling ability is what sets him apart in my mind.
I had a chance to ask Wyatt Horton about his progress last year and the challenges ahead. Here's what he had to say:
"As the year progressed I went from learning (my role) to truly understanding and believing in myself, the coaches and my guys. Once that happened, I felt more confident in myself, and I think it just kept growing- and continues to grow. Not only do I know I can compete with the very best, I expect it out of myself. I am dedicated to learning as much as I can and focusing on getting my body bigger and stronger. I’m very happy with where I’m headed."
At the end of the day, every opportunity a high school athlete earns is simply another chance to earn the next opportunity. Proving to the coaching staff at Pinnacle that he had the ability to lead the team in 2022 didn't mean that Horton would be free and clear of challengers to his position over the next two years, but there definitely had to be some surprise there that the challenge would come from the most sought after recruit in the 2024 class.
At the end of the day it's a challenge I believe Horton not only can win, but should win.
Wyatt Horton Highlights
