JORDAN THOMAS

Jeannette.

A 6-foot-1, 185-pound quarterback/defensive back on the football team.

Thomas completed 5 of 7 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, ran for a third score and intercepted a pass Friday, leading the Jayhawks (11-0) to a 46-18 rout of Riverside in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals.

A junior, Thomas has started at quarterback for two seasons and on defense for one. The Jayhawks are 21-1 with him under center. This year, he has completed 65 of 140 passes for 1,168 yards and 15 touchdowns, run for eight touchdowns and returned one of three interceptions for a score. He threw for more than 900 yards in 2002.

"Going deep is my strength," said Thomas, who threw two 58-yard touchdown passes Friday. But strong-arm tactics aren't his only trademark. "Jordan can beat you throwing or with his legs," said Jayhawks coach Bob Murphy. "He's very athletic. He makes a lot of big plays scrambling. Jordan is outstanding on defense, too, but we try to give him a little time off there. He's a great leader, but the biggest thing about him is he is a competitor."

During the winter, Thomas keeps order on the court. He has been the starting point guard for the Jeannette boys' basketball team since his first game as a freshman. Thomas was first-team All-Section 1-AA last season, when he averaged 13.1 points and 5.0 assists per game..

An honor student, Thomas said he likes football and basketball equally but is leaning toward college football.

ASHTON GRAHAM

Butler

A senior defender on the Butler girls' soccer team.

Graham scored two goals as the Golden Tornado defeated Peters Township, 2-0, in a PIAA Class AAA semifinal Tuesday night. The win put Butler (21-2-2) in the championship game Saturday in Hershey against Owen J. Roberts (23-3-1).

Graham's performance against Peters Township was highly unusual, considering she had only two goals all season. But defenders aren't counted on to score.

"The first one [against Peters Township] was just off a free kick," Graham said. "The second one, I just dribbled upfield, passed it to Annie Lowry, and she passed it back to me."

Graham has been a varsity starter since her freshman year, "but I usually only score one or two goals a year," she said.

Since the PIAA started two girls' soccer classifications in 1996, a WPIAL team has won the Class AAA championship only once (Norwin in 1996). Two years ago, Butler lost in the title game to Downingtown, 7-0. "We lost so bad two years ago that we just want to go back and improve on that," Graham said.

Graham, who has a 3.9 grade point average, is undecided on a college but wants to be a math teacher someday.