MidValleySports.Com

By Brian Ibarra

(La Puente) – This week, Nogales High School hosted a special three-day quarterback camp that brought athletes from Japan to Southern California to train, learn, and experience American football firsthand.

The camp created a unique opportunity for young quarterbacks from across the Pacific to work with some of the top quarterback coaches in the game while building connections through football.

Leading the camp was nationally respected quarterback trainer Danny Hernandez, who has worked with quarterbacks at multiple levels and is widely regarded as one of the top QB coaches in the country. Hernandez helped athletes refine their mechanics, footwork, and decision-making while teaching the leadership qualities required to play the quarterback position.

Joining him was Jake Maier, former UC Davis Aggies football quarterback and a Grey Cup Champion in the Canadian Football League. Maier shared insight from his journey to the professional level and helped young quarterbacks understand what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Quarterback coach Greg Panelli also worked with players throughout the camp, helping guide drills and instruction for the visiting athletes.
The event was supported by Nogales High School football coach Kevin Encinas, a former Southern California Coach of the Year, who helped organize the camp as a way to create new opportunities for student-athletes while bringing positive attention to the school and community.
“This was about more than football,” Encinas said. “It was about building relationships, learning from each other, and showing our students that sports can connect people from different cultures and different parts of the world.”

During the three-day camp, quarterbacks worked through drills that focused on footwork, throwing mechanics, timing, and leadership. The athletes also learned the mental side of the position — studying how to read defenses, communicate with teammates, and lead an offense.
For the visiting athletes from Japan, the camp provided a rare opportunity to train with American coaches while experiencing the culture of high school football in Southern California.
For Nogales High School, the event highlighted the growth of the football program and its commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for student-athletes.

Moments like this showed how sports can bring people together from different communities and different countries — all while helping young players grow both on and off the field.