At first glance it’s pretty apparent Adryan Lara has the “it” factor. Already close to 6-feet tall and with the frame to add both bulk and strength over the next four years, it’s easy to see why the Desert Edge High School freshman starting quarterback who already wears a size 11 shoe has been turning heads since arriving on campus earlier this summer.
Oh, did we mention he can spin it a little bit, too?
“Arm talent-wise, he’s pretty special,” Edge head coach Jose Lucero said to Sports360AZ.com. “For him it’s going to be continuing to learn the game and get that experience.”
75 ⏰ pic.twitter.com/PgfoBvaJ03
— Adryan (@Adryan_Lara7) April 26, 2018
Lara’s first test will come on the road in the high altitude against a Prescott Badgers squad who went 7-3 in 2017 and return their top four leading tacklers this fall.
The bright lights and the big stage likely won’t faze Lara. He’s been destroying defenses over the past couple years playing for the West Valley Pirates and talking X’s and O’s with his stepdad, Keith Jennings, who is Desert Edge’s head JV coach.
“It’s the same stuff it’s always been,” Lara explained with a smile when asked what advice his stepdad gave him leading up to his first high school snap. “It’s the same thing. It’s just football.”
When he’s not perfecting his craft in the far west Valley or working with his personal coach Mike Giovando, you’ll probably find Lara watching his two favorite NFL quarterbacks.
“I like Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers,” Lara said with a smile. “Those are ball players right there. Rodgers is so poised in the pocket.”
Lucero and the rest of the Scorpions are hoping the talented young signal-caller with the explosive arm will simply let the game come to him and allow Edge’s young, but talented offense around him do the rest.
“You’re in this position because you earned the spot,” Lucero said of his one-on-one conversation with Lara after naming him the starter. “Go out there and have fun and do what you did to get to this point. He has a real high ceiling. I think he has a chance to be pretty special for us.”
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Eric Sorenson
A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.