Keppel Quarterback Marqus Valenzuela
Marqus Valenzuela: Keppel- Quarterback, # 12, Sr.
2012 Stats (with San Gabriel) – 213-335-3190 Yards, 21 TD, 10 Int.
Some people are wondering why a quarterback with the ability and stature of Marqus Valenzuela would go to Keppel. I say why not? It would have been easy to go to Monrovia or Bishop Amat or another school high on everybody’s radar. Valenzuela wasn’t necessarily looking for easy. If nothing else, it proves that Valenzuela’s transfer was not athletically motivated. No, that wasn’t a factor here. Valenzuela carries a 3.8 GPA and for him it was a matter of things working out in the classroom. It wasn’t a coaching problem, it was a teacher problem and as a senior Valenzuela didn’t need problems there. On the field he’s pretty darn good too. He threw for over 3000 yards and 21 touchdowns last year in Jude Oliva’s high powered offense at San Gabriel. He brings a spark and a motivation to Keppel that hasn’t been there in the past.
“We need to start learning about what it’s like to win. We need to go out there and expect to win,” Valenzuela said last week at the SGV Shootout. “That will come eventually. We’ve been working hard in the summer to get better.”
Will Valenzuela suddenly lead the Aztecs to a league title and beyond? Probably not. But there already is a buzz around Keppel that was missing previously. As I was walking from one field to another Saturday a local coach stopped me. “Hey do you know where Keppel is playing?”
“Yeah over there,” I replied pointing to a back field.
“Ok great. Thanks. They got that new quarterback. I got to go check it out,” he said as he rushed off to see the Aztecs.
I’m trying to remember the last time somebody…anybody…asked me where Keppel was playing. Um, how about never.
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