Orange County Prep Player of the Week : Debbs of La Quinta Feels the Need for Speed

When Derek Debbs of La Quinta High School says he “wants to fly planes” someday, you know he’s not talking about the average Cessna.

“Jets,” he said. “You know. Z zzzoooooommmmmph !”

By common earth standards, Debbs--La Quinta’s quarterback--has already reached a few G-forces on the field. The Times’ Player of the Week completed 17 of 30 passes for 375 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 35-14 victory Friday over El Dorado. A feat that, he claims, had little to do with his own ability.

“Sure, I can throw, but when you have my guys in front of me (offensive linesmen Leo Holler, Matt Childress, and Brian Allgeir) you can stand in the pocket all day just going ‘doo-doo-dee-doo’ until you see someone open,” he said.

Debbs also gives credit to first-year Coach Rodger Takahashi, who was offensive coordinator last season and coached the junior varsity the year before that. That’s where he and Debbs first joined forces.

“Without Coach T, I wouldn’t be playing nearly as well,” said Debbs. “He and I were together since JV. He really gave me confidence in my throwing. So now that he’s up here (on varsity level) and I’m up here--it’s like we’ve been together since we were nobodies. I can go to him and he understands exactly what I’m saying. He knows just how to talk to me.”

Said Takahashi, “What Derek did Friday night comes as no surprise to me. He has the ability to make the big plays. I think he’ll be one of the top prospects in the county.”

Though Debbs credits a great deal of his success to others, he does recognize that much of what goes on with the Aztecs’ offense relates directly to his own style of play.

“I guess I take more chances than most people,” he said. “I like doing dangerous things.

“Whether it’s scrambling to an open area or doing something that hasn’t been planned--things usually turn out for the best because you pull it together. You have to or you can’t win. And I like to win.”

Especially, he says, when the stakes are high.

“I like to play big teams like the 4-As and 5-As,” he said. “Other teams just want to stay on their own level, but I say let’s challenge the bigger teams. It’s more exciting.”

He also likes the letters of interest he has been receiving from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

“That would be the best,” said Debbs. “If I have the chance, that’s where I’ll go.”

Why?

“To fly planes,” he said. “The speed and everything up there--that’s where I want to be.”