CRANBERRY TWP — Butler resident Camden Laconi has a definite goal in mind — and he’s aiming straight for it.

A seventh-grader at Butler Catholic, Laconi played quarterback this year for the North Pittsburgh Catholic Ironmen, leading the team to a 6-4 record and the No. 1 seed in the North Division of the Pittsburgh Diocesan Youth Football League.

The Ironmen have three teams — developmental (grades 3-4), junior varsity (grades 5-6) and varsity (grades 7-8) — and the program was formed four years ago to serve as a potential feeder system for the new North Catholic High School, coming to Cranberry Township.

The new school is scheduled to open in the fall of 2014, Laconi’s freshman year.

“I love the quarterback position,” Laconi said. “The biggest goal I’ve set for myself is to be the quarterback for North Catholic High School. That’s what I’m building toward.”

He will return as the Ironmen’s starting quarterback next fall.

Laconi led the Ironmen in scoring this season and was one of the leading scorers in the entire 10-team league. He returned a number of kickoffs for touchdowns, including a 95-yarder, rushed for more than 100 yards in a few games, threw three touchdown passes in some others.

“I’ve coached seventh grade football for eight years and you don’t see many kids that age who can run a 5.04 in the 40-yard dash,” Ironmen varsity coach Steve Spotts said. “Camden is just so fast. He’s run back five kickoffs for touchdowns, two in one game.

“He’s one of those players that when the ball is in his hands, he could break it for the distance on any play.”

The Ironmen are only in their fourth year as a developmental program. Other teams in the league have been around for decades.

The Ironmen draw their players from St. Kilian’s in Cranberry Township, St. Gregory in Zelienople, Butler Catholic, St. Alexis and St. Alphonsus.

Two years ago, the Ironmen junior varsity made the championship game in only their second season, “an extraordinary accomplishment,” Spotts said.

“With the new school coming up to Cranberry, we thought a feeder system at the grade school and junior high levels was needed,” the coach added. “We adopted the school colors, contacted the head coach (Bob Ravenstahl) at North Catholic, adopted the same offense he’s running and went to work on it.

“Our first year, we had 36 kids at the developmental and junior varsity levels. This year, we had close to 80 total players for the three teams.”

Laconi’s younger brother, third-grader Carson, was one of them. Also a quarterback, Carson played for the developmental team that went undefeated without allowing a point all year.

“He’s a highly energetic player,” Camden said in describing his younger brother. “I like to run the ball more as a quarterback, he likes to throw it.”

Spotts said only five third-graders played on the developmental squad this year.

“I know he’s only in third grade and kids are hard to project at that age, but believe me ... Carson is a special player with an extremely bright future.”