Orange County Prep Player of the Week : Lacy Turns It Around for Falcons

Roshawn Lacy of Santa Ana Valley High School decided things were going to be different when the Falcons took the field against Kennedy Thursday night.

After a 22-0 loss to rival Saddleback the week before, Lacy and his teammates had suffered enough derogatory remarks from Santa Ana Valley students and coaches.

So Lacy, a senior wide receiver/cornerback/punter/kick returner decided to take matters into his own hands.

Lacy, The Times’ Player of the Week, made three interceptions, one of which he returned 98 yards for a touchdown, to lead the Falcons to a 21-10 nonleague victory over Kennedy to even their record at 1-1.

Lacy also punted six times for 210 yards, including a 55-yarder from the Falcon one-yard line.

In two games this season, Lacy has 4 receptions for 44 yards, 5 kickoff returns for 128 yards (a 25.6-yard average) and 4 punt returns for 40 yards. He’s also punted 12 times for 492 yards (a 41-yard average) and now has 3 interceptions to add to the list.

“He is very dedicated to his endeavors,” Falcon Coach Dan Castanon said. “He works very hard. His only problem is he puts a bit too much pressure on himself to do it all (in games).”

If Lacy finds himself in a pregame pressure cooker, it may have something to do with the outside opinions he hears before and on game day.

“You have teachers telling us all day: ‘You better do good today. We need a win, now.’ I get nervous just thinking about it, if I drop the ball or mess up some way.”

And then there are the negative reinforcements of the previous week.

“When we played Saddleback, we just fell apart,” Lacy said. “We were forgetting our assignments, and then they started breaking us, and it was over. After that, we knew we had to get back in shape.”

The crash course that followed would make Jack LaLanne proud: Two hours of almost non-stop sprint drills, an extra hour of weights, and then, the torture-topper: viewing and reviewing the game films.

“That was the worst of it,” Lacy said. “It’s hard enough to take all that criticism from the coaches, but when you’re watching (your mistakes) right in front of your eyes again and again, you can’t even argue.

“You have to use it as inspiration for the next time. I did, but I kept it all inside of me, knowing I’d be out there showing them the next week.”

Lacy spent extra hours studying the Falcon play book, visualizing winning ways and scoring plays. The night before the game, Lacy saw in his mind the Falcon crowd going wild, his coaches clapping and grinning. The next day, Castanon delivered what Lacy considered the final omen.

“I told Roshawn right before the game, ‘You’re going to win the game for us,’ ” Castanon said.

Pressure? What pressure?

“I meant for him to relax and just let it happen,” Castanon said. “And when the opportunities come up, it will happen.”

Lacy’s first opportunity came as the Kennedy wide receiver he was defending made a cut a few feet short. Lacy was there, intercepted the pass, and with a key block by teammate Jonathon Davis, ran 98 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

“On that first one, I was so shocked when it happened, I almost ran over the ref along the way,” Lacy said. “But then I reminded myself to keep my head in the game.”

Lacy said he has three goals this season. One is to help the defensive backs break the record of 16 Falcon interceptions in one season.

Another is to make the Southern Section playoffs in order to motivate and inspire future Falcon players.

And third, Lacy wants to keep his grades up, hoping for an athletic scholarship.

“I want to be the first Lacy to go to college,” said Lacy, who’s been contacted by San Jose State, Utah and Oregon State. “If I have to, I’ll put sports aside for a while to get my studies together. It’s been my dream for a long time. I want to make my family proud.”

Roshawn Lacy

Santa Ana Valley High School

Positions: Wide Receiver/

Cornerback/Punter/Kick Returner

Height, Weight, Class: 6-2, 170, Sr.

Last Week: Lacy intercepted three passes, one of which he carried 98 yards for a touchdown, to lead the Falcons to a 21-10 nonleague win over Kennedy Thursday. He also had six punts for 210-yards, including a 55-yarder from the Falcon one-yard line.

Season: Lacy has 4 receptions for 44 yards, 5 kickoff returns for 128 yards (a 25.6-yard average) and 4 punt returns for 40 yards. He’s also punted 12 times for 492 yards (a 41-yard average) and made three interceptions for Santa Ana Valley (1-1).