Saxton wastes little time at Case Western Reserve
Drew Saxton wanted a chance to start as a freshman. It’s one reason he chose Case Western Reserve to continue his athletic and academic career.
“I knew quarterback Rob Cuda was graduating. That gave me a chance to compete for a starting spot right away,” Saxton said. “Coach [Greg] Debeljak gave me that opportunity and I can’t thank him enough.”
Saxton got his chance to start as a freshman during the 2018 season and made the most of it. The South Fayette graduate was named Presidents’ Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year after leading the conference in every passing category.
“It was a little surprising to do as well as I did,” Saxton said. “The idea of a true freshman starting at any position, let alone quarterback, it’s out there, but it doesn’t happen a lot. When you have confidence in your skill set and trust in your coaches and trust what they are teaching you, it’s possible. I think I had a good year.”
Saxton, who is 6 feet, 185 pounds, led the conference with 221 completions, 354 attempts, 62.4 completion percentage, 3,033 yards, 34 touchdowns, 303.3 yards per game and 161.0 passing efficiency.
Saxton threw for three or more touchdowns in seven games, including four games in which he threw five touchdowns. His best game came in a 44-36 loss to PAC champion Washington & Jefferson, as he threw for five touchdowns and 414 yards, the fourth-highest total in school history.
“I attribute a lot of my success to the coaching I received at South Fayette,” Saxton said. “Coach [Joe] Rossi and [former assistant] coach [Andrew] DiDonato taught me so much over the years. I can’t thank them enough for putting me in the position I’m in.”
Coach Debeljak agrees with Saxton’s assessment.
“Drew’s development in high school was critical,” Debeljak said. “South Fayette and its coaching staff has done a tremendous job developing great quarterbacks. So when he came in, we knew we had a pretty polished guy.”
But even Debeljak was surprised with Saxton’s debut.
“He exceeded our expectations,” said Debeljak, who has led the Spartans program since 2004. “As the season went on, we put more and more on him and that will continue this season.”
Saxton is one of 18 starters returning from a Case Western Reserve squad that tied for second place in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference with an 8-2 overall record.
“It certainly helps to have a guy like Drew coming back at quarterback,” Debeljak said. “With 10 games under his belt, he knows the system very well. He’s a great leader who will be a team captain as a sophomore.”
Despite the impressive debut, Saxton believes he still has room for improvement.
“I want to eliminate the freshman mistakes I made last year,” Saxton said. “This is key to improving my game. I want to be the best version of me I can be. Some are comparing me to [past Case Western Reserve quarterbacks] Rob Cuda and Dan Whalen and my [quarterbacks] coach Kevin Burke. I’ve got to do what I do best. I’m not a scrambler. I’m not going to run a lot and gain yards with my feet. I play well with my skill set.”
Three of the Spartans top four receivers have graduated, but Saxton’s favorite target is back. Junior Colt Morgan was one of the top two wide receivers in the PAC last season. Saxton and Morgan connected on 79 passes for 1,094 yards and 18 touchdowns.
“Colt has good size at 6-5 and can run well,” Saxton said. “The best thing he does is get separation from defensive backs. When he’s at the top of his route, he’s able to cut and get that extra step out of his break. That really helps him. And when the ball is in the air, he’s able to go up and get it. If they double team him, it will open things up for our other receivers.”
Saxton realizes the Spartans coaching staff will be relying on him even more this season.
“As a quarterback you have to know every position on the field, whether it be line, running back, tight end or receiver. You have to know what everybody is doing and make sure we work as one cohesive unit. That comes along with communication,” Saxton said.
“We did some audibling last year, a lot of checks and stuff. But not actually changing from one play to another. Talking with the coaches, we want to do some of that this year. I have the confidence I can do it. I’m excited that they are giving me that responsibility.”
Saxton threw for 7,452 yards and 94 touchdowns during his career at South Fayette. He was a member of the Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22 team his senior year.
“Academics also played a big part in my decision to attend Case Western Reserve,” Saxton said. “It’s a great institution, world renowned. My mom stressed academics over football. I’m majoring in exercise physiology with hopes of getting into sports medicine or sports training.”
Case Western Reserve opens its season Sept. 7 at Rochester in a non-conference game.