ALL EYES ON HART'S STAR QB SENIOR SETS HIGHER STANDARD AFTER DIFFICULT YEAR AT HELM.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

NEWHALL - How weird it must be for Tyler Lyon.

Not only might Lyon be the Foothill League's best football player this season, he also is under the biggest microscope.

That's what happens when you are the starting quarterback at state-power Hart High, especially after Hart went just 7-5 last season under Lyon's leadership.

The kid passed for more than 3,100 yards and accounted for 33 touchdowns, but, naturally, a lot of people paid more attention to the five losses, the third-place finish in league and the second-round exit to archrival Mission Viejo in the Southern Section Div. II playoffs.

Lyon has a lot to prove this year. At least, that is the public's perception, and maybe Lyon's, too, because the 6-foot-6, 220-pounder is a highly competitive young man.

His coach, 17-year veteran Mike Herrington, would love nothing more than to simply call off the dogs. He always has been more than satisfied with Lyon's ability and leadership skills, and if anyone is qualified to gauge a quarterback's worth, it is Herrington. The coach has guided the prep careers of legendary Hart quarterbacks Sean Norton, Matt Moore, Kyle Matter and Kyle Boller.

``He's done exceptionally well, and we expect Tyler Lyon to have another year just like any of the past Hart quarterbacks,'' Herrington said. ``Our quarterback is our leader out there, and let's face it: Tyler didn't just take a little of the blame last year, people were blaming him left and right. But that was not right because he did very well and had to play behind an offensive line that wasn't very talented.''

Before last season, Lyon played just one JV season at quarterback, plus a half-season of youth football - as a running back. He had skills as a passer, but he still was learning the game.

``And we had a very tough schedule last year, and there were some hard losses,'' Herrington said. ``Of our five losses, four were to teams that eventually went to a section final.''

Since the Mission Viejo loss, Lyon has dedicated himself to getting better. He has grown more than an inch taller and improved his arm strength and accuracy through hard work with his private passing instructor, Dean Herrington - the offensive coordinator at College of the Canyons and brother of the Hart coach.

College recruiters have noticed. Lyon already has received eight major scholarship offers - Notre Dame, LSU, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State, Mississippi, BYU and Rutgers - an unofficial Hart record for most offers.

``Things are going good. It's a pretty humbling experience getting all these recruiting letters and having the college coaches write me and send e-mails,'' Lyon said. ``I mean, it's a lot to go through, but it's also a one-time thing in your life, and it's going to be a lot of fun to do things like go on recruiting trips.''

Eight scholarship offers might seem enough to curb the frustration Lyon felt after Hart finished third in league for the first time in nearly two decades. Above all else, Lyon wants to win football games and help put Hart back on top. That is one reason won't make an early commitment. He prefers to schedule recruiting visits after the season, so he can concentrate on his senior season.

``It's going to be a lot different this year,'' he said. ``I'm a lot more confident, and I really feel like I'm the leader of the team.''

Troy Yudin, Hart's top receiver and one of Lyon's best friends, can see a difference - not just in Lyon's arm strength, quicker release and more intelligent reads, but in Lyon's eyes.

``Tyler has come on tremendously this past year,'' Yudin said. ``He understands the offense a lot better, and you can just tell he wants to be out there. I can guarantee he's going to do a lot more this year.''

Yudin and Lyon lived through the drudgery of last season.

``Actually, I was really impressed with the way Tyler handled things, because a lot of what happened was not his fault, but he always just took the blame,'' Yudin said. ``Whenever something went wrong, like a blocker missed a block or a receiver ran the wrong pattern, Tyler took the blame.''

It isn't easy being the quarterback of a team with such huge expectations, which plays in front of nearly 10,000 on the biggest nights of season. Lyon won't say that, but Yudin will.

``Being the Hart quarterback is a bigger pill than I could ever swallow, that's for sure,'' Yudin said. ``It's tough being the leader in the huddle, but Tyler Lyon knows what's going on and knows what everyone on the team is supposed to do.''

Another problem last year, according to coach Herrington, was a minor social division between the juniors and seniors.

``I just don't think Tyler was as comfortable as he could have been last year, but this season he's much more comfortable,'' Herrington said. ``I think the mental part is going to be easier, and having a year of experience will really help. I think Tyler will flourish this year.''

Lyon prefers to keep things less complicated.

``Yes, I guess you can say it's hard to be the Hart quarterback,'' he said. ``But all I really want to do is win, and that's why I'm looking forward to this season.''

Gerry Gittelson, [phone]

gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) Hart High quarterback Tyler Lyon has been collecting recruiting letters from many Division I schools - and he's received eight scholarship offers.

David Crane/Staff Photographer