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Senior proving a quick learn for undefeated Foothillers
Desean Waters may be quiet off the field, but his game has been loud this season. The Grossmont senior quarterback has made big plays game in and game out in 2010, a major reason why the Foothillers are off to their best start in eight years.
“He’s a pretty quiet guy,” said Grossmont head coach Ron Murphy. “He’s kind of a quiet leader.”
After starring at running back as a junior last season, Waters became the focal point of Grossmont’s spread offense installed during the offseason. With an inexperienced offensive line, Murphy wanted to put the team’s best athlete at quarterback, turning to Waters.
“He’s got the ball with space so he has more of a chance to be an athlete, make a move, make someone miss,” Murphy said. “We’ve come up with various creative ways to try and get him the ball with space around him.”
Murphy made the decision in the spring with the thought of getting Waters, who rushed for 1,453 yards in 2009, the ball directly from the snap. But he also knew Waters had an arm.
“We did some toss passes last year and I could see that he could really zip the ball. I took note of it that he was rolling to the left and putting the ball with some zing on it,” Murphy said. “Then we did some wildcat stuff and it really paved the way to get Desean out there.”
Despite not playing quarterback at any level of football, Waters hasn’t missed a beat this season. The southpaw pulls the strings for a Foothillers offense averaging 32 points per game.
“I thought it was going to be harder, but it took me game by game and practice by practice to get used to it,” Waters said. “Once I got used to it, I started feeling more comfortable playing the spot.”
Through Grossmont’s first six games, Waters has rushed for 801 yards and 13 touchdowns and thrown for 565 yards and two touchdowns. Designed runs allow Waters to use his running back instincts, while run-pass option plays make him think like a quarterback.
“Some are designed for me and some are just reads that I have to make,” Waters said. “If I see the hole, I’ll run, but if I’m passing and I see the first open man, I will hit him.”
Though he has twice as many rushing attempts as passing attempts so far this season, Waters said he really likes to sling the ball around. Passing downs do, however, present an unconventional challenge for the 5-foot-8-inch senior.
“Seeing over my O-linemen is kind of hard on the passes,” Waters said.
Waters is certainly not short on athletcism, moonlighting at cornerback and punting for the Foothillers. He also plays point guard on the Grossmont basketball team, averaging 9.4 points per game last season.
“He can do anything,” Murphy said. “He’s a really good athlete.”
Murphy describes Waters as more quick than fast. He compared Waters to New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker in terms of quickness and elusiveness.
“He’s not a very big kid but he runs physically when he has to and the last time he turned the ball over was when he was a sophomore,” Murphy said. “He has the ability to really cover the ball and carry it with two hands like a fullback would, but also the ability to be good in space and put his foot in the ground and make cuts and make people miss.”
Waters hopes to play football in college and had contact with Division II Bemidji State in Minnesota. While not having the size to play quarterback at the next level, Murphy said his signal caller has the skill set to make a good slot receiver.
“He just has the ability to get open and catch the ball with his hands and make a little cut,” Murphy said. “He’s an instinctive, innate football player. He just understands what he can do with his body and he has the ability to make plays.”
A Waters-led offense combined with a stout defense allowing seven points per game has propelled Grossmont to a 6-0 start, including a 13-7 win at Valhalla in their Grossmont Hills League opener last week. Under Murphy, the Foothillers went a combined 11-13 the past two seasons.
“We’re more like a family this year,” Waters said. “We all have a little bond with each other to keep us strong together so we can play as a team.”
Playing in one of the toughest leagues in the section, the Foothillers travel to La Mesa to face undefeated No. 2 Helix tonight at 7 p.m. The showdown with the Highlanders begins a tough three-week stretch where Grossmont faces Granite Hills (4-2) and No. 8 Steele Canyon (5-1).
“It’s going to be tough to play against these good schools like Helix and Steele Canyon. We’ll find out what we can do against them,” Waters said. “I think we deserve a league championship.”
Senior proving a quick learn for undefeated Foothillers
Desean Waters may be quiet off the field, but his game has been loud this season. The Grossmont senior quarterback has made big plays game in and game out in 2010, a major reason why the Foothillers are off to their best start in eight years.
“He’s a pretty quiet guy,” said Grossmont head coach Ron Murphy. “He’s kind of a quiet leader.”
After starring at running back as a junior last season, Waters became the focal point of Grossmont’s spread offense installed during the offseason. With an inexperienced offensive line, Murphy wanted to put the team’s best athlete at quarterback, turning to Waters.
“He’s got the ball with space so he has more of a chance to be an athlete, make a move, make someone miss,” Murphy said. “We’ve come up with various creative ways to try and get him the ball with space around him.”
Murphy made the decision in the spring with the thought of getting Waters, who rushed for 1,453 yards in 2009, the ball directly from the snap. But he also knew Waters had an arm.
“We did some toss passes last year and I could see that he could really zip the ball. I took note of it that he was rolling to the left and putting the ball with some zing on it,” Murphy said. “Then we did some wildcat stuff and it really paved the way to get Desean out there.”
Despite not playing quarterback at any level of football, Waters hasn’t missed a beat this season. The southpaw pulls the strings for a Foothillers offense averaging 32 points per game.
“I thought it was going to be harder, but it took me game by game and practice by practice to get used to it,” Waters said. “Once I got used to it, I started feeling more comfortable playing the spot.”
Through Grossmont’s first six games, Waters has rushed for 801 yards and 13 touchdowns and thrown for 565 yards and two touchdowns. Designed runs allow Waters to use his running back instincts, while run-pass option plays make him think like a quarterback.
“Some are designed for me and some are just reads that I have to make,” Waters said. “If I see the hole, I’ll run, but if I’m passing and I see the first open man, I will hit him.”
Though he has twice as many rushing attempts as passing attempts so far this season, Waters said he really likes to sling the ball around. Passing downs do, however, present an unconventional challenge for the 5-foot-8-inch senior.
“Seeing over my O-linemen is kind of hard on the passes,” Waters said.
Waters is certainly not short on athletcism, moonlighting at cornerback and punting for the Foothillers. He also plays point guard on the Grossmont basketball team, averaging 9.4 points per game last season.
“He can do anything,” Murphy said. “He’s a really good athlete.”
Murphy describes Waters as more quick than fast. He compared Waters to New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker in terms of quickness and elusiveness.
“He’s not a very big kid but he runs physically when he has to and the last time he turned the ball over was when he was a sophomore,” Murphy said. “He has the ability to really cover the ball and carry it with two hands like a fullback would, but also the ability to be good in space and put his foot in the ground and make cuts and make people miss.”
Waters hopes to play football in college and had contact with Division II Bemidji State in Minnesota. While not having the size to play quarterback at the next level, Murphy said his signal caller has the skill set to make a good slot receiver.
“He just has the ability to get open and catch the ball with his hands and make a little cut,” Murphy said. “He’s an instinctive, innate football player. He just understands what he can do with his body and he has the ability to make plays.”
A Waters-led offense combined with a stout defense allowing seven points per game has propelled Grossmont to a 6-0 start, including a 13-7 win at Valhalla in their Grossmont Hills League opener last week. Under Murphy, the Foothillers went a combined 11-13 the past two seasons.
“We’re more like a family this year,” Waters said. “We all have a little bond with each other to keep us strong together so we can play as a team.”
Playing in one of the toughest leagues in the section, the Foothillers travel to La Mesa to face undefeated No. 2 Helix tonight at 7 p.m. The showdown with the Highlanders begins a tough three-week stretch where Grossmont faces Granite Hills (4-2) and No. 8 Steele Canyon (5-1).
“It’s going to be tough to play against these good schools like Helix and Steele Canyon. We’ll find out what we can do against them,” Waters said. “I think we deserve a league championship.”