Now that season has taken flight I am even more excited. We started off our first game against Lakeside and won 35-6. I put up 320 yards on 29 carries with 4 touchdowns in only 3 quarters. I also had 2 receptions for 47 yards. The second team we played was Patriot and we won 35-10. I had 205 yards on 24 carries with 4 rushing touchdowns and even threw a touchdown pass to my blocking back Frank Venegas. Our offensive line and blocking back have gotten stronger over the past couple of games and getting rid of the jitters. Our defense has also been improving every day. This week play Grand Terrace and we are really pumped because we not only lost to them last year but this is a huge game for us. They are tougher and more physical than the past two teams and we feel this will be and indicator of how good we actually are.

     School has started off great and because I am on track with credits I only have three core classes. Maintaining an overall GPA of a 4.0 is my main focus throughout this year.  My advice for young aspiring athlete whether they play baseball, football, basketball, run track, or even swim is to take academics seriously. One of the most important parts of high school sports is grades. You can be the greatest athlete of the city but if you can’t maintain a 2.0 GPA you won’t be able to play. If a college is deciding between two players with the same amount of talent they will most likely pick the kid with a higher GPA. Try not to get behind in credits because high school won’t be as enjoyable for you. Another piece of advice for young athletes is to just have fun. Don’t stress over colleges not giving you scholarships right away because most of the time it won’t happen until you put up stats and have good grades. Also, don’t worry about the school you go to, if you’re good they will find you. Lastly make sure you and your team creates chemistry. Great teams are built upon trust and the ability to play as one.

See you next month,

Michael Dean

Chaffey High School