Taking over the reins at quarterback for the Wildcats comes with expectations that can hardly be put into words. Peterson stepped into that role this season, on the heels of Jared Goff (Cal) and Morgan Mahalak (Oregon) as the engineers of head coach Mazi Moayed’s offense the previous two seasons.

Having set a school record for rushing yards per attempt with 10.2 as a sophomore playing running back in 2013, Peterson entered his junior year with the physical ability to excel behind center. And he put in the time and effort to learn the nuances of the position.

“He obviously runs real well,” said Moayed. “But he has a tremendous work ethic, and that got him prepared to be a leader this season.”

That work ethic translated to a season in which Peterson threw for over 2,200 yards and ran for over 1,100, including 42 total touchdowns. Those numbers came despite six games in which he played a half or less. And the ultimate reward for the team was a return trip to the NCS Division III title game, where they came within six points of eventual state champion Campolindo.

With another year on the horizon for Peterson and the Wildcats’ offense, the team will likely have its sights set even higher in 2015.

NOTE: We would like to thank our readers for all of the nominations you sent in for the season-ending NCS football awards. It is a daunting task to narrow down our selections to just the top few as we recognize there are lots of great players who make contributions on the football field that are not necessarily well-documented but mean a great deal to the success of their teams. We salute all of the players that have made this a wonderful season of NCS football.