Every good football team has its leaders. The players who set the tone on both sides of the ball offensive and defensive. For the JV team those leaders are the starting quarterback, Landis Choates and the starting linebacker, Juan Gonzales. These two athletes play the game with focus, confidence, and determination.
For the quarter back Choates, the hardest part of his role is not just throwing the ball or avoiding being tackled. It is the mental side of the game: “Knowing the plays and what everyone has to do each play,” he explained. Although his role as the heart of the offense is a big task, he has found ways to handle the pressure, especially “By staying calm, reading my progressions, and trusting my coaches.”
Building chemistry with his teammates is also a top priority: “I talk to them on each play and what they are doing wrong or right and correct them”, he said. His favorite play is “Duce 83 because I love to throw the ball deep.” Looking ahead to the season his goals are simple but difficult tasks. “Win a district championship, go undefeated, have a good completion rating, and stay healthy.”
On the other side of the ball, linebacker Gonzales brings that same mindset to the defensive side. Before every snap, his focus is sharp: “Just go make a big play like a big stop on a third down,” he explains. Reading the offense is a key part of the game, too: “(I have learned to) read the person in front of me and react to their movements and counter them”
The role of linebacker still comes with a challenge: “Finding the right gaps to fill on the line,” he explained, “is the most difficult part of playing linebacker.” When playing late in the game, the fatigue sets in: “I just think about all the work that I’ve put in, like training.”
Together, the quarterback and the linebacker are the heart of the JV team. Their leadership on the offense and hard determination on the defense is key to the game. By the end of the season, both players aim to improve their skills and lead their team to a victorious championship.