MEADVILLE — He's only a sophomore, but Slippery Rock High School quarterback Jonathan Powell is wise beyond his years.

And obviously a graduate of Humility 101.

After gashing the Meadville defense for 169 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown and throwing for another score Oct. 20, Powell deflected the credit to everyone but himself.

"I feel like I'm getting more comfortable," said Powell, who had a breakout game in only his eighth varsity start. "I'm running the ball a lot more, and our line is really picking it up. Like (last Friday), they just played a heck of a game."

Powell had another big game Thursday against Erie Central, rushing for 73 yards and completing the only two passes he threw for 52 more yards.

Slippery Rock is a young team and Powell is one of its burgeoning stars.

He entered the season without taking a varsity snap and immediately took the reins of the offense. While it has struggled at times, Powell has played consistently, showing a strong, accurate arm on deep throws and the speed and elusiveness running the ball to give the Rockets an added dimension.

At 5-foot-9 and a shade over 150 pounds, Powell is one of the smallest players on the roster. But he may be one of the toughest and grittiest.

He's been hit hard on countless occasions, but each time has gotten off the ground. That's big for a team that has suffered so many devastating injuries this season.

"I'm getting hit, but I want to pop back up and be a leader on this team, even though I'm an underclassman," Powell said. "I want to show these guys that I'm not going to get hurt just because I'm little."

Powell came into the Meadville game with 111 yards on 55 carries — numbers skewed a bit by the fact sacks count against a quarterback's rushing yardage in high school.

He left Meadville with 280 yards rushing. His game against the Bulldogs was thought to be the most rushing yards by a Slippery Rock quarterback in the 40-year history of football at the school.

Powell also has thrown for 499 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-61 passing.

"I can't say enough about the line," he said. "What they have been doing is awesome."

Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti has seen Powell develop with every game.

"Jon-O, I've said all along, I have a lot of trust in him," Conti said. "Even more importantly, I think he has a lot of trust in himself and the team in him."

Powell found out early in the off-season that he would be the starting quarterback this year. The backup is senior Adam Brydon, who has never thrown a pass in his high school career.

So, he hit the weight room and the film room hard. Still, he felt those butterflies flittering in his stomach as the season approached.

"I feel a little pressure," Powell said. "It's not just on me, though. I can't do everything. I need these guys, too."

Powell also got some tips from a guy well versed in starting as a young quarterback.

Four-year starter Ben Collins, who graduated last season after leading the Rockets to two District 10 championships and within a quarter of the state championship game, took Powell under his wing.

"I talked a lot to (Ben)," Powell said. "He gave me a lot of pointers. I didn't really expect him to be the person to come up to me and help me, but he did. Even this year, he's on the sideline for some games and he talks to me."

Powell is looking at this season as a steppingstone. But he's not giving up on this season, either.

Slippery Rock still has an outside chance at the playoffs if it can topple Warren in the regular season finale at home.

"This will be a really good learning experience, not only for me, but for everyone coming back next year," he said. "But you have to think about now, too. We have (one) game left."