By MARK MOLINA | The Brownsville Herald
Former Brownsville Veterans Memorial quarterback Gustavo Vasquez put up big numbers in his senior year for the Chargers as he led them to an undefeated District 32-5A title and was named the district and All-Metro MVP.
As a result, expectations for subsequent quarterbacks are high, but that hasn’t deterred Liam Longoria during his first season as the starter under center.
In fact, the junior signal caller has excelled in the first five games and has shown the Chargers are just as explosive during their 4-1 start.
“I knew I had big shoes to fill,” Longoria said. “But I think we have good coaching and good personnel to really help me develop as a player and overall just become better.”
As a sophomore, Longoria served as backup while Vasquez put up huge numbers, rushing for 1,617 yards and passing for 1,112 more for 32 total touchdowns.
That was time the young quarterback spent learning and preparing to step in as a leader this season.
“It prepared me both on and off the field,” Longoria said. “It was just the way (Vasquez) carried himself, the way he led the team and the way he got it done on the field. Now, I lead by trying to do the right things on and off the field. I try to set an example to my teammates. Hopefully they’ll follow try to the right thing and be successful.”
Longoria made the most in the snaps he got late in blowout wins last season, passing for 327 yards and rushing for 205 more with six total scores.
It was that small amount of playing time and his initiative in the summer that made an impression on head coach David Cantu and his coaching staff.
“We as a coaching staff always felt confident with (Longoria) going in there,” Cantu said. “He’s always proven that he’s an accurate passer and a very smart quarterback. In the summer, he really showed us during our voluntary summer conditioning camp. He would get to school an hour early and jog three miles before we even started the two-hour long conditioning camp. To me, that was sending the message that he was going to have his body right and he was mentally going to put everything that he can put in to being our quarterback.”
The Chargers are 3-1 in District 16-5A Division I (4-1 overall) and are averaging 377 yards of total offense per game.
Longoria is at the forefront of it all and has done a lot of it with his arm as he has passed for 781 yards on 60 of 97 passing with eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
“I think I have the ability to open up the offense with my arm as well as with my legs,” he said. “Last year, we were mostly a running team, so bringing that balance really helps in beating the defense.”
Longoria also has had success on the ground, rushing for 208 yards on 53 carries for a team-high 10 touchdowns.
The junior doesn’t rush the ball at the rate Vasquez did last year, but he doesn’t need to with many options around him, including the district’s leading rusher Mauricio Garza (611 yards, 7 TDs).
Cantu said he and offensive coordinator Sammy Montalvo assess the offensive potential during preseason based on the player strengths and Longoria’s have allowed the team to not be one dimensional.
“One of Liam’s greatest strengths is the ability to throw the ball with different arm angles, on the move and from the pocket,” Cantu said. “He’s definitely a really strong passer and he’s also a really strong runner, but fortunately we have running backs that take that load off of him.
“The maturity of our receivers helps,” he added. “A majority of them are back from last year, so that chemistry and connection is a big deal as well as the (offensive line). There is a good balance there of maturity, experience and playmakers. “
Longoria said the pieces help him in his growth and has made the team a more cohesive unit.
“We help each other on and off the field trying to become better as a unit,” he said. “My teammates make me better and I think I’ve gotten better in every aspect of my game.
I think I’m more accurate and I’m faster. As we keep practicing through the weeks, we get better, get better chemistry and we’re just better as a unit as we progress through the season.”