Mater Dei could have electrifying combo

SANTA ANA – Victor Blackwell knows if he gets open, Max Wittek will throw the ball to him.

Wittek knows if he throws the ball anywhere near Blackwell, Blackwell will catch it.

They have that complete trust and confidence in each other, these seniors, Mater Dei quarterback Wittek and Monarchs receiver Blackwell.

"If Max puts the ball out where I can get it, I'll get it," Blackwell said.

Blackwell got it 52 times last year, gaining 1,033 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. Against Orange Lutheran, Wittek and Blackwell hooked up 12 times for 257 yards and three touchdowns.

Wittek was in a hot competition for the starting quarterback position last year at Mater Dei. He emerged as the starter in early September, and went on to complete 136 of his 230 passes for 2,126 yards – fifth-most in the county – and 15 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

Wittek, 6-foot-4 and 220-pounds, took advantage of the athleticism of the 6-1, 190-pound Blackwell and intends to do so again during this season that starts for Mater Dei on Saturday against Carson at Santa Ana Stadium.

"If I put the ball anywhere in his vicinity, he'll catch it," Wittek said. "Once he gets the ball, that's when the fun starts. He's a game-changer, a guy who can break a game open."

Blackwell has sprinter speed, so much of his yardage comes after the catch.

There have been some outstanding quarterback-receiver combinations at Mater Dei; the Nick Stremick-Rod Perry combo in the mid 1990s was among them. When their senior year is over, the Wittek-Blackwell tandem might be included among some of the great ones in county history, such as the Mark Larsen-Rick Parma duo at Kennedy in the 1970s. The '90s saw a number of outstanding quarterback-receiver combinations, like Tim Carey-George Sagen at Los Alamitos, Tony Solliday-Dave Poltl at Capistrano Valley, and Carson Palmer-John Minardi at Santa Margarita.

Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson estimates that, on a good night, the Monarchs will run 55-60 plays, with Blackwell involved in a large percentage of them in a variety of ways this season.

"I figure Victor's got to touch the ball at least 20 times, whether he's catching it or carrying it," Rollinson said.

Rollinson sees the Wittek-Blackwell tandem as a major matchup challenge for opponents because of Wittek's arm strength and Blackwell's hands and quickness.

"I truly believe a lot of high school defensive backs sense that there is this range limit – 'No way he's going to throw to this guy' – and they start to back off," Rollinson said. "Then it's up and out and too late for the defensive back to recover, because Max can definitely toss it pretty good."

Blackwell played a lot as a sophomore, which was current USC quarterback Matt Barkley's senior year at Mater Dei. He had that breakthrough junior year in 2009, but Wittek thinks his receiver is just beginning to tap into his potential.

"Victor's IQ of the game keeps getting better," Wittek said. "If we're playing against a zone defense, he knows where to get into the openings in the zone. He's not going to run into another defender and cover himself up."

Blackwell agreed his understanding of the game has grown.

"If all the coaches want is a 5-yard gain, then I'll get them a 5-yard gain instead of always going for the touchdown," Blackwell said. "When the coaches say, 'We need you to control the offense right now,' I can do that."

Blackwell, in turn, has noticed the maturation of his quarterback.

"Max has that great arm and athletic ability, and the ability to really read a defense," Blackwell said.

The Wittek-to-Blackwell threat will draw plenty of defensive attention, thus creating offensive opportunities for other Monarchs this season. But when those two get it going ...

"Victor's the type of receiver who can make an average quarterback look very good and make a very good quarterback like Max look really, really good," Rollinson said.

The Wittek-Blackwell relationship could be something special in this 2010 season. But it might not end when the season ends. Both committed to USC, so it could be Wittek-to-Blackwell for a few more years, a few miles north.