Gateway High School’s (Monroeville, PA) varsity football program featured one of the top overall players in the country in the 2005 class in cornerback Justin King, who signed with Penn State. Head coach Terry Smith boasts several more Division 1-A prospects in 2006, but the player that may headline the group is 6-0, 180-pound Aaron Smith , whose cousin is Justin King.

Although he projects as an athlete on the next level, Smith did an outstanding job at quarterback this past season. In his first season playing quarterback at Gateway, the dual-threat star completed 54 of 110 passes for 1200 yards and 15 touchdowns. He rushed 75 for 564 and six touchdowns.

“He’s very smooth, very athletic and can run,” coach Smith said. “He runs a 4.4 in the 40. He’s a big playmaker who plays his best games in the biggest games.”

One of the biggest games was in the WPIAL AAAA quarterfinals, when Gateway took on Woodland Hills. Coach Smith remembers a play by his quarterback that sparked Gateway’s eventual 31-12 victory. Gateway would go on to make it all the way to the WPIAL championship game.

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