El Dorado's Kane Wilson knows that a certain quarterback from Mater Dei sometimes dominates the spotlight.

At least it can seem that way.

"Every time you go on rivals(.com) or scout.com, he's on the front page," said Wilson, referring to Matt Barkley, the reigning Gatorade national player of the year.

"He deserves it, though."

But thanks to Wilson and several other strong-armed seniors, Orange County's quarterback story this fall is not a hasty read.

Think of it as an intriguing page-turner.

Even after the headline-grabbing Barkley, who has committed to USC and is regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the nation, this tale will keep your attention.

Three other quarterbacks - Mission Viejo's Allan Bridgford, Los Alamitos' Clark Evansand Dana Hills' Sean Schroeder - also have made early commitments to Division I-A college programs.

Bridgford picked Cal, Evans selected Colorado and the left-handed Schroeder opted for Duke.

Beyond those chapters of success, there are wait-and-see quarterback prospects such as Wilson, Tesoro's Robbie Picazoand Newport Harbor's Andrew McDonald.

"You could probably come to Orange County and get seven or eight scholarship quarterbacks — at some level,"Los Alamitos coach John Barnes said of the 2008 class.

Last season, only one county quarterback signed with a Division I-A school: Edison's Nick Crissman (UCLA).

"It's a good year (for Orange County)," said Greg Biggins, a recruiting analyst for ESPN.com. "There's a lot of good guys."

Said Evans: "They say everything is about Barkley, but Orange County is stacked."

BRIDGFORD SHINES

Barkley does cast a shadow on his competitors, but it isn't being felt in Mission Viejo.

"I don't feel overshadowed by anybody," said Bob Johnson, the Mission Viejo coach and quarterback guru. "We got our guy, and I don't think about the other guy."

The 6-foot-4 Bridgford, who opened his season Friday night in Hawaii, has bulked up to 214 pounds.

"He's put on 25 pounds since last year, so he's a different looking kid," said Mission Viejo assistant coach Bret Johnson. "The nice thing about him is that he keeps getting better."

Bridgford passed for 2,462 yards last season and his stock continued to rise during the summer with a third-place finish in the MVP voting at Johnson's Elite 11 camp.

"I know people thought I was probably at the bottom of the bunch (going into the camp)," Bridgford said. "I knew I would turn some heads."

Bridgford hoped to compete against Barkley but Barkley didn't attend the camp.

"That was kind of a bummer (for me)," Bridgford said. "He's labeled as the best in this county, best in the country. Why not compete against that guy?"

A NEW TRADITION

While Mission Viejo's tradition of star quarterbacks includes USC starter Mark Sanchez, El Dorado has been better known recently for its linemen.

Wilson's brother, Trace, was a standout defensive lineman last season and signed with Louisiana-Lafayette.

"I don't think you think El Dorado and think quarterback," El Dorado coach Jeff Bailey said.

But Wilson is helping to change that perception. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, the dual-threat quarterback has helped the Golden Hawks claim consecutive CIF Southwest Division titles.

Last season, he passed for 2,332 yards and ran for 430.

Bailey and Johnson praise Wilson for his competitiveness. Bailey cited Wilson's play last season in the semifinals (vs. South Hills) and finals (vs. Trabuco Hills) as the prime examples.

"He said, 'I'm not going to lose' and found a way to get us those wins," Bailey said.

Wilson was busy during the offseason, too. He attended an Elite 11 tryout camp at Cal that had a strong county presence. He made a final grouping of passers that included Bridgford, Evans and Schroeder (6-2, 190).

"The strongest arm was Sean Schroeder, actually," Wilson said.

Wilson also made a trip to the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana. The camp is run by Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning. Wilson's father, former pro quarterback Dave Wilson (Katella), played with Archie on the New Orleans Saints.

Wilson is still waiting for his first scholarship offer.

"All these other guys are getting offers," he said. "I think I'm as good or just almost as good."

ONE GOOD DUDE

As Barnes starts to think about the physical skills of the 6-4, 223-pound Evans, his enthusiasm overflows.

"I told him (the other day), if you don't look like a college quarterback right now, I don't know who does, Barnes said. "You just go, 'What a dude!' "

In 10 games last season, Evans passed for 2,118 yards and rushed for 952.

Biggins calls him a "beast."

Evans committed to Colorado during the summer but felt under-recruited by some colleges.

UCLA envisioned him as a tight end.

"He's going to be a real good college quarterback," Barnes said. "He can beat you in a bunch of ways."

Evans said his early college decision has allowed him to focus on the Griffins' season. And in his script for the season, he encounters a certain quarterback from Mater Dei, in the spotlight, in December.

"It would be picture-perfect to play Barkley in the CIF finals,” Evans said. “That would be a good game."

Related:
• All Football Kickoff '08 articles

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com