KARNS CITY — Dylan Hipple strolls through a dimly lit hallway outside the Karns City High weight room and looks for last-minute stragglers.

"Two minutes," says the senior quarterback, still wearing grass-stained uniform pants from a sultry morning practice. "Get into the weight room. Don't be late."

The few players milling about heed his words and head into the weight room.

"Leadership," said Karns City football coach Ed Conto when talking about Hipple. "He goes hard, but everyone likes him, too. He's always upbeat. I can't see how anyone can be mad at him. You couldn't be prouder to have a kid like that leading your team."

A year ago, Hipple was just another anonymous face in the crowd at Karns City — a player with untapped talent, but a huge unknown on the field.

But the Gremlins program has been turning coal into diamonds for years. Just add the pressure to win that only a successful program can provide.

"I just didn't want to let anyone down last year," Hipple said. "I just wanted to do my best."

His best was more than good enough to get Karns City its third straight District 9 Class AA title. As the season went on, Hipple became more confident and more of a threat.

He passed for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing 60 percent of his throws.

Hipple also rushed for 345 yards as the offense evolved under his leadership.

This season, Hipple comes in as one of only two true returning starters on offense.

But Hipple said he won't press. He won't try to do everything himself.

"I'm focusing on not rushing things, taking my time, being patient," Hipple said. "Everything seems to be in slow motion for me now. It's a nice feeling."

While the talent surrounding him is green and rough around the edges, Hipple said it is ample.

Karns City lost nearly 3,000 yards rushing to graduation, but it has a slew of backs ready to take the load off Hipple.

"I've played with most of these guys since we were in midgets," Hipple said. "I'm looking for another District 9 championship. I'm looking for another crack at the state playoffs to see if we can go farther."

Last year, Karns City's season ended abruptly in the first round of the PIAA playoffs with a 28-26 triple overtime loss to Bedford.

Hipple badly sprained his ankle in that game, but he played through it in the second half of a loss that stuck with him all offseason.

It's been hard to rein in Hipple during the early days of camp.

While most players loath the heat and the two-a-day practices, Hipple relishes them.

"I love camp," he said with a huge grin. "It's my favorite time of the year. I just love being able to hit people. August 16 — first time you can hit someone. I got yelled at (Monday) in practice because after I pitched the ball, I ran down the field and blocked someone."

Conto compared Hipple to former Slippery Rock High quarterback Jono Powell, not just because the two share a similar skill set, but because they share a similar understanding of the game.

Karns City and Slippery Rock scrimmage each other every year. When Powell was a senior, a year in which he became the first QB to win the Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy, Powell impressed Conto with his ability to check into different plays at the line of scrimmage.

Conto thinks Hipple can bring the same to the Gremlins' offense this season.

"We'll see by our second scrimmage," Conto said. "We have to get these other guys comfortable. If he has a pretty good understanding of it by the end of camp, we'll do that. It takes your offense to a whole new level."