ATHERTON - Jack Heneghan appeared suddenly in the lobby of the Menlo School athletic center, toting his football helmet, shoulder pads and other assorted gear.
At 6-foot-4, 218 pounds with a shock of brown hair and green eyes, he appears to be not so much just a standout high school quarterback, but some figment of a school girl's imagination.
Athletically accomplished, academically gifted and polite to a fault, Henegan in prep terms is a more handsome version of Peyton Manning. He's Keller Chryst without the scholarship offers. He's Tom Brady without the Uggs.
"He's an incredible young man and a team leader by example," Menlo coach Mark Newton said. "He's a highly ethical kid who is well-respected by teachers and peers for his work ethic and intelligence and kindness toward others."
Added Newton: "Athletically his intelligence and strong arm and ability to make every throw in the book, make him one of the better quarterbacks in Northern California. And he's also a threat to run."
Last Friday, in a 47-40 victory against McClymonds, Heneghan led a 91-yard touchdown drive in the final one minute, 31 seconds to win the game. The victory came on a 44-yard touchdown pass to Peter Bouret.
Up in the stands, the quarterback's mother, Amy Heneghan, was beside herself.
"It was the most emotionally exhausting experience," Amy said. "I've been to Super Bowls and to Stanford's triple-overtime win against USC and I've never had such an emotional reaction to a game. I was hysterical."
Genetically, Heneghan has not fallen far from the tree. His mom is a pediatrician at Palo Alto Medical Center and a former prep athlete. His father, Lal Heneghan, is an ex-University of Pennsylvania tight end who formerly worked as a lawyer for the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He now heads up Cornerstone Sports where he's a consultant with college teams, helping to transition players from college to the professional ranks.
As for Jack Heneghan, he's just trying to transition from high school into college. Oddly, he has no Division I offers yet, despite completing 63 percent of his passes for 1,597 yards and 22 touchdowns, with only four interceptions.
So far only the University of San Diego and Dartmouth have made overtures to the Menlo star, and neither of them are D1 nor offer athletic scholarships.
Going Ivy League won't be a problem for Heneghan who has a 3.9 grade point average and scored a 2,280 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (2,400 is the maximum).
That lack of a D1 offer, during a 30-minute interview, was about the only thing that got Heneghan's Irish up a bit. He and others seem mystified he doesn't have a D1 college commitment yet like Palo Alto's Keller Chryst (Stanford) or Bellarmine's K.J. Carta-Samuels (Vanderbilt).
"I think I'm am as good as anyone," Heneghan said. "I definitely have that mindset, and you have to have confidence in yourself. I respect all of the other quarterbacks. They're amazing players, but I believe in myself."
Offered Newton: "Sometimes that first offer is the hardest. Then once you get one or two, the next thing you know is you have eight or 10. It's sort of the nature of the beast."
This week Heneghan and the Knights give Bay Area defenses a break as they have a bye. But Menlo and its stellar quarterback will be back at it Oct. 18 at Terremere Field against Sequoia as the PAL-Bay season begins.
Playing stirs Heneghan's competitive juices.
"I love the idea of playing on a team," he said. "You have a group of guys working together and to me that's much better than an individual sport. As a quarterback you get to read the defenses and change plays and decide who to throw the ball to. It's pretty engaging; I like the challenge of it."
The Menlo star has been at it since he was in the fourth grade playing for the Orange Lions of Orange, Ohio. He was a tight end back then and also didn't play quarterback with the youth league Menlo-Atherton Vikings after the family moved to California.
It wasn't really until Heneghan's sophomore year at Menlo that he started playing quarterback full time. By his junior year he was a star, throwing for 2,764 yards and 34 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. About the only bummer in Menlo's 2012 season were the two narrow setbacks to Atherton neighbor Sacred Heart Prep -- the second of which was a bitter 13-7 loss in the section title game in a driving rainstorm in Pacifica.
"It was the worst rain I've been in since I moved to the West Coast," Heneghan said. "It made throwing the ball challenging and more risky. It took us out of our comfort zone, but (SHP) had to play in it as well. There are no excuses for things we can't control."
As exemplary as Heneghan is on the field, those close to him say he's equally so away from the field.
He plays the guitar because he finds it challenging. And he volunteers at the Riekes Center for Human Enhancement in Menlo Park, a place that offers programs in athletic fitness, creative arts and nature awareness. In fact, Heneghan is so well thought of at Riekes that he spoke at the organization's fund-raising dinner.
"That just shows the kind of character and impact he has on people," Newton said.
The teen's mom has found little to quibble about. She said Jack is a "great big brother" to sister Lucy, a sophomore aquatics star for the Knights. When pressed that her 17-year-old must have some weaknesses or quirks, she says with a laugh his penmanship is not great and his driving skills are suspect.
"My son is awesome," Amy said. "I have to say that he's great. He's always been solid and has known what he's wanted. He's been a joy to have around and I'm sad that he's growing up and will be moving on to the next phase of his life."
But first, there's the PAL-Bay season. League foes Sacred Heart Prep and Terra Nova are both unbeaten and Sequoia and Menlo-Atherton have just one loss. The league season will be a meat-grinder.
Then there's the section playoffs, and a chance for redemption for Heneghan and the Knights.
"It (the loss to SHP) has given us a lot of motivation to get back there and take care of business," Heneghan said. "That left a sour taste in our mouths and in those moments in the weight room or on the field when you're tempted to rest, it's kept us going."
