Quinn Wentling has the perfect demeanor to be a high school quarterback.

The Whitehall junior truly is cool, calm, collective and confident. Talk to them for a few minutes, and you quickly form that impression.

Wentling pieced them all together in a shortened, COVID-19 season to help his team to a District 11 Class 5A championship. He had a banner year throwing (1.365 yards, 12 TDs) and running the ball (741 yards, 7 TDs) for the Zephyrs, leading the league in passing and second in rushing in his first year as a full-time starter.

“If you just focus on him and what he means to our team, I think he’s the best quarterback in the league right now,” said Whitehall head coach Matt Senneca. “He’s tough to prepare for because of the stuff he can make happen when the play breaks down. When you look at the intangibles, he can rise to the top.”

Being a quarterback isn’t anything new to Wentling. He started playing the position in flag football and won his last championship at the Pee Wee level.

“Yes, I’ve always been a quarterback since I was five,” said Wentling. “I think I felt comfortable with everything in seventh grade. I felt I could have a good high school career ahead of me. As I got older, the game was easier for me.”

Wentling credited Zephyrs quarterback coach A.J. Long, a former Pius X and Syracuse University standout, for his development.

“I have been really well coached by him,” said Wentling. “He told me what I need to know. He has showed me how to get through different situations.

“I always have liked to run the ball. It’s been something I have done since Pee Wee.”

Wentling cited reading coverage as one obstacle he has worked to overcome. He was a spot starter last season.

“From last year to this year, that has been the biggest thing,” he said. “I think I could have been better in that area. It is something that I will work on for next year.”

Wentling recalled the team’s 38-28 loss at Emmaus Oct. 23 as a turning point. From there, the overall 5-3 Zephyrs won their final three games to claim the title with a 52-7 win over Pocono Mountain East.

“The Emmaus game was the one in which we thought we could really compete,” he stated. “We felt we could get it done after that.

“We felt great after we beat Northampton because they were thrash talking a lot. It was a fun one.”

The Emmaus game also was one in which Wentling admittedly lost his cool.

“I was rattled toward the end of the game,” he said. “It wasn’t right in my head. That didn’t happen any other time.”

Wentling plans to continue his workouts during the winter, and he also will continue his college search. He rates this championship with beating Parkland when he was a freshman quarterback in the program.

He also sees raise in respect for the program that was 0-10 last season and 2-8 the previous year. Yet, there will be the naysayers.

“I do feel we have,” he said. “But there a still a few people who saw we played a short schedule and East Stroudsburg South wasn’t playing.

“I just hope we can play a normal season next year and show we can win it all again and get to states.”

With Wentling at the helm, the Zephyrs certainly have a great shot.