In California, it’s no longer all the time the highest quarterback recruit who places up the most important numbers. In 2018, Folsom three-star QB Kaiden Bennett threw for 4,254 yards and 62 touchdowns sooner than committing to Boise State. The following 12 months, four-star Ethan Garbers eclipsed the 5,000-yard mark and handed for 71 touchdowns on Corona Del Mar (Newport Seashore, Calif.). He won a dozen gives, however lagged under a number of different four-star potentialities across the country, lots of whom won 20 or extra.
However within the Trinity League, the passing leaders have a tendency to be essentially the most distinguished quarterbacks. In 2018 and 2019, it was once long run Heisman winner Bryce Younger and fellow five-star recruit D.J. Uiagalelei who led the celebrated southern California league in passing yards. Over the 2 years prior, five-star QB J.T. Daniels was once in pole place.
That was once much less so the case in 2021, when three-star Orange Lutheran quarterback Logan Gonzalez was once arguably the best Trinity League quarterback. Gonzalez’s 3,975 passing yards was once second-most in California, and he led the Trinity League in yardage and passing touchdowns (47).
Regardless of the performances as he helped Orange Lutheran win the CIF-SS Div. 2 championship, Gonzalez simplest won two gives. He signed with Portland State on Nationwide Signing Day in early February.
“Portland State was once my first be offering, so all the time had a place for them,” Gonzalez stated. “After I went up there I simply fell in love with it. … I had a actually excellent reference to the coaches, so I figured that it was once the appropriate position.”
Gonzalez in large part held his personal in opposition to the Goliaths of California highschool soccer, totaling 423 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions between Orange Lutheran’s 49-25 loss to No. 7 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and 55-16 loss to nationwide champion Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).
The ones numbers are extra spectacular when put into standpoint: St. John Bosco held six of its 12 warring parties to twelve issues or fewer, whilst Mater Dei allowed greater than 16 issues to simply Bosco and No. 6 Servite (Anaheim, Calif.).
“The most important factor is solely taking what they come up with. Don’t you should be the hero at all times,” Gonzalez stated. “Take the little flat routes, take the little out routes, hit the take a look at down. All that stuff will upload up.”
He stated Servite was once the hardest workforce he confronted, and the numbers mirrored this as two of his seven interceptions at the season got here in opposition to the Friars.
“Their D-line — they’re in order that speedy, so bodily, they usually’re all the time making performs within the backfield, inflicting us to do away with the ball fast,” Gonzalez stated.
Dominant defenses are a cornerstone of each and every best Trinity League workforce. For each and every 50-point sport, there’s a defensive effort like Mater Dei conserving Duncanville (Texas) to a few issues or Servite restricting Venture Viejo (Calif.) to seven. Oftentimes, the explosive offensive video games and stonewall defensive performances are the similar night time.
Gonzalez progressed himself by way of exercise out with native skilled and collegiate athletes corresponding to New Orleans Saints RB Dwayne Washington, New York Giants working again Elijhaa Penny and Boise State extensive receiver Khalil Shakir.
“Each and every rep they take is solely 100%, and also you don’t all the time see that at the highschool stage,” Gonzalez stated. “Other people taking reps off as a result of they’re drained — those guys by no means take any reps off. “
He stated figuring out with them and his revel in from beginning for 3 years helped him spice up his numbers and compete in opposition to the Trinity League defenses. With quarterbacks at Mater Dei and St. John Bosco so younger — Elijah Brown is an up-and-coming famous person however continues to be a sophomore, whilst the Braves platooned junior Katin Houser and sophomore Pierce Clarkson — the Orange Lutheran senior had a possibility to place his 3 seasons on varsity to excellent use.
“You’ll’t move in there no longer gazing any movie and be expecting to head and dominate them with athletic talent. It’s by no means going to occur,” Gonzalez stated. “You gotta be smarter than them and that’s going to be your approach if you wish to take them down. A whole lot of movie right through the week and figuring out what they’re going to do sooner than they do it.”
That’s simply recommendation. Gonzalez sadly can’t solution the query on how one can take down the Trinity League powerhouses. However there are few gamers who can solution that, and the long run Portland State quarterback did in addition to maximum in his years at Orange Lutheran.
