The Fab Forty, No. 19: Wilcox star’s game has many dimensions
Editor’s note: This is part of our monthlong football previews.
SANTA CLARA — If you think you have Paul M. Rosa’s game pegged, you might be surprised.
The 5-foot-7, 180-pound Wilcox senior has the speed to whip past defenders on sweeps and in the open field. But he also has the toughness to thrive on runs between the tackles, and the hands to line up as a slot receiver.
“He’s really a tough kid, and his IQ of the game is high,” said his father, Wilcox coach Paul Rosa. “He’s fast, but for his size, runs really physical.”
“I have to go full speed no matter what,” Paul M. Rosa said. “If I took a play off, I might get hurt. I can’t afford not to go full speed.”
Rosa rushed for a team-high 1,588 yards (7.5 yards per carry) and 20 touchdowns last season for the Chargers, who won the California Interscholastic Federation Division 3-A state championship. He also caught 26 passes for 573 yards and reached the end zone eight more times.
But it was a rarity when he was off the field. Rosa had 44 total tackles, three interceptions (returned for 156 yards) and a fumble recovery as a safety. He also kicked 44 extra points and a field goal. In all, he averaged a jaw-dropping 15.1 points per game last season.
In the state championship game, Rosa rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown. He also recovered a fumble and returned it more than 30 yards, and kicked five extra points.
Rosa rushed for more than 200 yards twice last season, including 287 yards on 11 carries against Aragon on Sept. 7.
He said that one of the things he learned from last year’s long season was to take more care of his body.
“It was a grind last year,” he said. “I was beat up at the end of the season.”
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