VENTURA, Calif. (KEYT) - For this week’s Walkthrough with Joey, we caught up with Ventura senior quarterback Derek Garcia, a player redefining his game and supplying defenses fits for the Cougars in 2025.
With a prototypical pocket-passer frame at 6’3”, 190 pounds, the UNLV commit has no trouble delivering the ball downfield.
But this fall, the Channel League’s leading passer with over 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns has added a whole new dimension to his game: his legs.
“I’ve always just been a throwing guy, the one who hands it off when needed,” Garcia said. “But this year, I’ve been able to put that extra factor on defenses and score eight rushing touchdowns.”
That “extra factor” has made him one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the area.
Garcia is averaging nearly 10 yards per carry and leads his team in rushing.
“I didn’t really plan to run the ball that much going into the season,” he admitted.
“But as the games went on, I saw I could make plays with my feet. Now we’ve got some designed runs in there and it just forces defenses to respect me as a runner, too.”
It’s a role he’s fully embraced as Ventura sits in pole position to win the Channel League.
This season carries extra meaning – Garcia’s head coach, Tim Garcia, is also the player's dad.
“We try to keep football at school and family time at home,” Garcia said with a smile.
“But there’s always going to be some football talk. He’s always bouncing ideas off me, and I’m doing the same. It’s really cool because I get to see him put together the practice plans and game scripts.”
That father-son bond has clearly carried onto the field.
The Cougars have hit their stride 5-2 overall and unbeaten in league play.
“We’re rolling, and we’re hungry,” Garcia said.
“The expectation was to win league. Now the goal is to make a run in the playoffs.”
Given the seamless way Derek Garcia has evolved from passer to playmaker, that goal might be well within reach.
Ventura looks to extend its winning streak to three when it travels to Royal High School tonight to take on the Highlanders, kicking off at 7:00 p.m.
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