Athlete of the week
Age 16 | School Central Union | Grade 11
Deniro Osuna has “it.”
Not in the Clara Bow sense perhaps, but he is nonetheless possessed of a certain undeniable magnetism.
He exudes an easy confidence — that of knowing and having faith in his own abilities, along with those of his teammates — without straying toward the realm of unsavory hubris.
It’s this vaguely indescribable X-factor — to be found in scouting reports under “intangibles” or “makeup” or “leadership ability” — as much as his capacity to toss on-the-money spirals all over the juke joint that has allowed him to achieve such a high degree of success on the field of play.
A junior in his second year of quarterbacking the Central Union varsity squad, Osuna is in the middle of a breakout campaign.
The Spartans are undefeated at 7-0 and have generally looked like the terrors of the county. They have put up points in bunches, hanging crooked numbers on opponent after opponent.
That they’ve been able to do this is due in no small part the considerable talent they have at field general.
The Imperial Valley League is runheavy. It is relatively rare for more than a couple of QBs to clear the 1,000-yard bar in any given season, meaning local teams often don’t get too many looks at spread ‘em out schemes. This gives schools that do have access to an ace passer an edge.
Thanks to Osuna, Central is one of those schools.
In 2018 he is the runaway league leader in passing yards, with 1,518. His 21 TDs are 11 more than his nearest competitor and only two off the pace for the CIF-SDS overall lead.
More impressive than these figures has been his ability to take care of the ball. He’s only thrown four interceptions so far this year, which is tied for the fewest in CIF-SDS among signal callers with at least than 150 passing attempts.
This is the area in which Osuna has made the biggest leap. Last year, he found the wrong-colored jersey 19 times, but with thanks to some added strength and copious amounts of film study, he’s been able to cut down on the giveaways dramatically.
Last week, playing against Southwest in the City Championship game, Osuna had one of his finest outings to date.He went
14 for 23 for 372 passing yards, five TDs and zero interceptions. He carved up the Eagles secondary, completing passes in all areas of the field, to eight different receivers.
When asked about his performance he was typically self-effacing, saying the win was a result of the Spartans “really coming together as a team.”
Pressed on what he feels has enabled him to have such success this year he credited old-fashioned hard work and dedication and spending plenty of time in the weight and video rooms. “I’m stronger (than last year),” he said, “(and) I watch film in the mornings twice a week and after class. It’s helped me notice things … (like) my elbow was dropping more than it should.”
Regarding the Spartans great success he sticks to the team line of taking things “one game at a time” but is willing to admit that he’s “having a lot of fun out there.”
Which is good, because the spectators are, too.
My favorites
Pro athlete — Drew Brees
Pro team — Pittsburgh Steelers (“My dad liked them, so it’s a family tradition.”)
Class — Computer science
Movie — “The Sandlot”
Actor — Robert De Niro (“He’s got my name; I got to go with him.”)
Song — “Uproar,” by Lil Wayne (“It’s so hard to choose.”)
Who inspires you and why?
Musical artist — Lil Wayne
What do you enjoy most about your sport?
“It’s really exciting. The fans get so into it. The adrenaline … there’s nothing like throwing a touchdown.”
“Winning the Bell Game (last year). It’s a memory I’ll have forever.”
“My dad and my brother. They’re the ones who got me into football. My dad taught me how to throw, how to catch, everything. And my brother … he’s my brother. I have to follow whatever he does.”
“To keep the Bell and win CIF.”
What is one of your best sports-related memories?
What are your goals for the rest of the season?