The ‘definition of a dual-threat quarterback,' Drew Leszczynski plans to scramble toward a state title

Prior to the 2018 prep football season, the Journal Sentinel and Now News Group will reveal the Area Sweet 16 players to watch. Each day between the first day of practice on Aug. 1 to the first day of games on Aug. 16, one player will be revealed online. View the entire list of athletes here.  

When things begin to break down, that’s when Drew Leszczynski is at his best.

In his third year as the starting quarterback for one of the top programs in the state, Brookfield Central’s signal-caller is its best player and senior captain. He's also its master of chaos.

“I like throwing more than running, but my favorite thing to do is scrambling out of the pocket and making throws on the run,” Leszczynski said. "I like to extend plays under pressure and make things happen with my feet and arm. I have a lot of fun doing that.”

Leszczynski might get a kick out of taking broken plays and making something out of nothing. Defenses don’t.

The 6-foot-1 playmaker was an honorable mention all-state performer as a junior, completing 61.3% of his passes for 2,212 yards and an eye-catching 29 touchdown to just two interceptions. He was also second on the Lancers in rushing, gaining another 529 yards and seven scores on the ground as Central came within one score of winning the Division 2 state championship game.

“He has such a good football IQ, his arm is so good and he just has a feel for making the right play on the run,” Lancers senior wide receiver Julian Banda said. “He makes my job a lot easier.”

An arm 'as good as anyone else's in the state'

When he made his first start as a sophomore, Leszczynski was in his comfort zone  running the plays that were called, making the throws that were available.

With time, experience and wins, he began to make more reads, gain a stronger feel for the pocket and use his legs to his advantage.

“The best thing with Drew is that he can make throws that most kids can’t,” Central head coach Jed Kennedy said. “He’s got an unbelievable arm that’s as good as, if not better than, anyone else’s in the state.

“He’s great with his legs, too. He’s the real definition of a dual-threat quarterback.”

Leszczynski put his speed on display on the baseball diamond this summer, stealing 19 bases and playing a rangy center field for the Lancers. After batting .425 and with a 1.25 ERA as a reliever, he was named to the All-Suburban team and first-team all-state ... all while baseball wasn't even his top priority. 

“Baseball was more of a sport to play for fun,” Leszczynski said. “It wasn’t like my prime focus this summer. That was more for getting focused for the fall on the football field. My brother (Nick, a freshman football player at St. Cloud State) played baseball and I wanted to play with him one last time, but I would lift in the mornings and spend a couple hours on the field throwing routes after that.”

Leader of the Lancers

Now one of the Lancers’ captains in his third year as the starter, Leszczynski isn’t the loudest speaker on the team. Instead, he does just about everything else.

During tense moments in the huddle or on the sideline, Leszczynski is the Lancers’ calming presence. Kennedy refers to him as “the team’s hardest worker.” And, of course, he wins, posting a 23-3 record as the starter for the past two years.

“His leadership is second to none,” Kennedy said. “He may not say a whole lot, but he leads by example. He gives a full effort in practice and a full effort in the weight room every time. When your best worker is your best player, it obviously bodes pretty well for your program.”

Few have seen Leszczynski’s development as both a quarterback and leader more closely than Banda, who was also an all-state honorable mention with 82 catches for 1,076 yards and 12 scores.

“We’ve played together since we were kids,” Banda, a senior, said. “I’d say that I’ve seen him step up most as a leader in his three years as the starter. I think he knows his role as a senior.”

Chasing a state title in Brookfield

The first 55 quarters of Central’s 2017 campaign couldn’t have been scripted much better. The Lancers were 13-0, which was coincidentally also the score of the lead they held entering the fourth quarter of the state championship against Waunakee.

The Warriors then forced a turnover deep in Lancers territory and scored to cut the lead to 13-7. Then they scored again, creating a 14-13 advantage that would keep the trophy in Dane County.

“In high school football, that’s about as rough as it gets,” Kennedy said.

Leszczynski and the Lancers walked away with a second-place trophy, a reminder of the excellent season they had but also a tangible representation of the sour taste the game left in their mouths. The last nine months have been about finding the right balance between not forgetting about the loss, but moving past it.

“It stung, but it’s all about moving forward now,” Leszczynski said. “You can’t really go back and change it, but you can use it as motivation.”

A game at Camp Randall and state runner-up didn’t raise expectations for the Lancers, who preach competing for state titles, but instead reminded them of the goal ahead.

“Our team goal is to win the state championship,”  Leszczynski said. “We came up short last year, but our experience will really help this year. We all know what to expect in this program.”

With Leszczynski at the helm of the offense, those expectations might just become a reality.