At 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, he may not look like the prototypical quarterback, but he has all the new-wave skills -- he can run, throw and think fast.

"I think everyone, myself included, is surprised when they see this kid, then they see his ability," said Northwest head coach Randy Trivers. "I think if you lined up all the kids in the program, and you didn't know who they were, and you were told, 'Pick out who the quarterback is.' You just wouldn't think. Brian would be pretty far down the list."

You probably wouldn't think of him as the place-kicker, punter or punt-return guy either, but he does all those things. He sees action at positions, which appear to better suit his physique -- linebacker and defensive end, as well. He literally could play anywhere on the field with distinction.

"He's not the fastest guy on the field. He's not the strongest guy on the field. But he's a football player," said Northwest offensive coordinator Andrew Fields of Shaw. "He knows how to get the job done, whether it's at center, fullback, wide receiver or quarterback."

Shaw began his high-school football career at perennial powerhouse Seneca Valley, where he beat out a 10th-grader for the starting quarterback position on the junior varsity. The next year, Northwest opened two miles down the road from Seneca. Because of where his family lived, Shaw had to transfer to Northwest.

"When we first started off in '98, we had heard things about him coming in here: 'He's a real fine athlete. He's runs well. He can throw.' All these things," said Trivers of Shaw as a 5-9, 190-pound 15-year-old. "My initial reaction was, 'Wow, this is Brian Shaw.' I was surprised by him, physically. Of course he wasn't as large then as he is now, but I was thinking of this sleek athlete I was hearing about who could move and do all these things. But here was this kid with these broad shoulders and big legs. Then I saw how he got things done, and I called him 'The Natural.' He just does everything so well."

Shaw has all the statistics to back up the accolades. He has started all 26 games at quarterback in Northwest history, including last weekend's huge 19-14 win over Seneca Valley. In that time he has thrown for 3,338 yards and 36 touchdowns. He's scored six touchdowns on the ground. What makes his career truly extraordinary is his ability to contribute in so many other areas, as well. During his two-plus years he's played quarterback, safety, linebacker, defensive end, and everywhere on special teams -- he's kicked off, place-kicked, punted and returned punts. In fact, he's a serious college prospect as a punter/kicker, averaging more than 40 yards per punt with plenty of hang time, including a 64-yarder earlier this season against Frederick. His two field goals this year are from 36 and 37 yards out and would have been good from 50. Though he doesn't play a lot of defense these days, when the situation turns crucial, he's in the game. Word is he would be the best player at any position on the team.

"I've known Brian since middle school, and he's always been one of the best athletes," said senior lineman Brad Stewart. "He just contributes so much to our team, because he can pretty much do anything."

"I just try to do the best at everything I do," said Shaw. "I like to compete. I like to play a lot of sports, and I pick up on sports really quickly."

Though the quarterback is usually protected by coaching staffs and rarely plays other positions -- no coach wants his quarterback injured while playing another position -- Northwest can't afford not to, because Shaw is too valuable in other areas. Plus, he can't say no to a challenge.

"He loves it whenever we bring in something new," said Trivers. "We'll tell him, 'Here, we have this new play' or 'Here, we're going to have you do this or this, whatever it might be.' You can see this little smile come to his face. You can see him just light up. He likes the challenge of doing something different."

It is as a quarterback that he has impacted the Jaguars' program the most. He's helped transform them from the new-kids-on-the-block into contenders. After a 2-8 inaugural campaign, Northwest went 9-2 in 1999 and made it to the state Class 2A playoffs. They're back on that track again this season at 4-1, despite losing several key ingredients from last year's squad.

But what happens next year? Shaw will be gone, and the Jaguars will have to fill four or five holes just through his absence.

"When he leaves, it's going to be a heck of a thing for us to replace," said Trivers. "Yeah, he plays quarterback. But he's one of the best punters you'll see in high school. He kicks the crap out of the ball. I wouldn't want anybody else kicking a field goal with the game on the line.

"We'll also have to replace him as a defensive player. If there's one guy who I want to stuff an off-tackle isolation play with the game on the line, it's him. If there's one guy I need to recover on on-side kick that the other team is going to make, it's him. If I need somebody to catch a punt, it's him. ... It has to be Shaw."

In the brief history of Northwest football, it always has been.