Though he's always been tall on talent, Dion Wiegand seems to have had a problem standing out.

This season, Wiegand, a senior at Keystone Oaks, is standing tall -- even if blending in with the crowd is part of what is making him so special.

After three seasons as the backup at tailback to 4,000-yard rusher John Fuhrer, Wiegand, who is all of 5 feet 7, is among the WPIAL leaders in touchdowns (18) and rushing yards (749) for the undefeated Golden Eagles.

A standout on defense throughout his career, Wiegand is finding that his size can be used to his advantage when carrying the football.

"Some of the college scouts don't like my size," Wiegand said with a laugh, "but I like it. The bigger you are, the harder you fall. I just have to use speed and agility and hide behind big linemen, use a low center of gravity. I like being little behind that line, they make it easy."

Wiegand, who was the Eagles' defensive most valuable player last season, was named a team captain before the season started. Also a strong safety, Wiegand twice rushed for 100 yards during games last season in which he was filling in for Fuhrer, a redshirt at Clarion University this season.

Keystone Oaks coach Nick Kamberis said Wiegand benched 340 pounds at the Eagles' lift-a-thon.

"He's put together. He's a great athlete," Kamberis said. "He's a very hard-nosed kid; he's the real deal. He might be small, but he's very powerful. He's a great runner with great vision. He cuts on a dime but he definitely has the speed to go the distance. Look at all his scoring carries, plus his long returns, punts and kickoffs. He does everything for us."

Kamberis is hoping Wiegand's strong senior season will attract the notice of college scouts that aren't initially deterred by his short stature. Kamberis believes Wiegand can contribute greatly to a Division II program but that, if it comes down to it, he can "be a very, very good Division III player."

Kamberis notes Wiegand's intangibles have been as strong as his play on the field. For Wiegand, becoming one of the WPIAL Class AA's best running backs takes a back seat to the Eagles becoming one of the classification's best teams.

"Hands down, he has everything you're looking for in a captain," Kamberis said. "His work ethic, his leadership, he does it in the classroom... he's an all-around great kid.

"He's kind of been in Johnny Fuhrer's shadow, but they are best friends. They worked out together for two years, and Dion pushed Johnny. Now, a lot of [Wiegand's] success is attributed to what he learned from Johnny and the relationship they had."

Wiegand will defer to Fuhrer for helping him develop into a strong running back and he credits an all-junior offensive line of Steve Scattaregia, Alex Demczak, Evan Schindler, Brandon Stevens, James Zeiler and Caleb Stoliker -- most of whom also helped clear the way for Fuhrer last season.

"When you have a line that's that experienced and blocking schemes that are that good, and we also have a real good quarterback [senior Corey Bellovich], so the threat of the pass means defenses don't know what's coming," Wiegand said. "Really I'd like to take credit, but seriously all the credit goes to the line and the blocking of the wide receivers, they're doing amazing, too. The whole offense is just clicking; I just happen to get [the statistics]."

Keystone Oaks is 6-0 and is making its first appearance in the Post-Gazette's rankings among WPIAL Class AA teams in quite some time. The Eagles are at No. 5 and are showing they have potential to advance deep into the postseason.

"It's a really great feeling," Wiegand said. "KO is not really known for football and we haven't really been in this position, so being undefeated is a great feeling. We're such a team right now, playing so well together. We don't count on just one player; everyone's doing their part and we're real happy about that."

Keystone Oaks, which hosts Quaker Valley (3-3, 3-3) in a Century Conference matchup 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, has allowed only 25 points all season. What makes Kamberis most happy, however, is that he is seeing signs that his team is continuing to improve and will not get complacent.

"I actually came home and told my wife the other day that the kids are starting to get a little hop in their steps in practice, which is what you hope for," Kamberis said. "A lot of times, people get to this point and the kids start looking more toward the playoffs.

"They're doing a good job buying into what we're selling, taking it one game at a time. We're treading some new water here, school-wise and community-wise there's some excitement.

"The big trick is to try to keep grounded and working together, and from my perspective they're doing a good job of it."