Strong Commitment
Alex deBrucky doesn’t need bulletin-board material taped inside his locker to get fired up for games.
The Esperanza defensive end already possesses his own brand of motivation, as if there are flashing neon lights on the quarterback’s helmet reading, “I’m better than you,” or the running back continually mutters “Get ready to eat dirt” as he dashes into the line of scrimmage.
Whether the insults are real or imagined, deBrucky tends to get a hand on the quarterback or wrap up the running back because of his innate desire to succeed. It sounds like a cliche, but the evidence is overwhelming. Consider:
Football? The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder was the Sunset League’s defensive player of the year, leading the Aztecs with 11 sacks and an additional 11 tackles for losses.
Grades? The senior has a 4.17 grade-point average and is considering, among other college options, Northwestern, California and Air Force.
Fitness? DeBrucky added 30 pounds of muscle last summer after visiting a nutritionist and sculpted his body in the weight room and on the open road.
“If you don’t have desire for something, you’ll never accomplish anything,” deBrucky said of his mantra. “If you don’t have desire, why do it? I want to be good at football. I want to have good grades. I don’t want to be OK with being average. I want to take that next step and work harder to get better.”
DeBrucky has walked the talk. After a solid junior season, he has blossomed into Esperanza’s best defensive player since Travis Kirschke, according to Aztec Coach Gary Meek. Kirschke, who clogged up the middle for Esperanza in the early 1990s, went on to star at UCLA and now plays for the Detroit Lions.
“[DeBrucky] has played beyond our expectations,” Meek said. “I haven’t seen anyone better in the county.”
Edison Coach Dave White won’t argue. DeBrucky constantly harassed Charger quarterback Richard Schwartz, registering three sacks, when Esperanza squeaked past Edison, 49-43, in Week 10 to win its first league title since 1997.
“He’s one of the best defensive players we’ve gone against in a couple of years,” White said. “He’s relentless. He’s full-motion in everything he does, and that’s what makes him so good.”
What makes deBrucky special, Meek said, is his tremendous hand strength, which allows him to separate from offensive linemen and rush the passer or stuff the rusher. “He’s able to hit, push linemen away and make tackles,” Meek said. “That’s the difference between real good players and average players.”
DeBrucky, who also plays tight end, has been at his best when the stakes are highest. He knocked down two passes against Los Alamitos, had three sacks and two fumble recoveries against Marina and made two crucial stops inside the 10-yard line against Fallbrook.
He realizes that he must play at another level tonight, when fourth-seeded Esperanza (11-1) faces top-seeded Long Beach Poly (12-0) in a Southern Section Division I semifinal at Long Beach Veterans Stadium.
“We all know their speed and their strength and their ability,” deBrucky said. “It’s going to be by far the toughest game of the year. But I don’t think we owe them any more respect than they owe us. Esperanza’s nothing to laugh about. We’re a bunch of hard-working, physical guys.”
DeBrucky said he believes Esperanza has been overlooked all season. That was especially the case last week, he said, when Fontana Miller Coach John Tyree told a local newspaper that he didn’t think the Aztecs were physical because they were from Orange County. Meek posted the quotes in his players’ lockers before Esperanza thrashed the Rebels, 30-10.
“I think that was a real motivator for a couple of kids, but not really so much for me,” deBrucky said. “To me, every game is like going to war. It’s a battle out there. It’s live or die, especially in the playoffs. You have to fight for survival and the top man wins.”
More often than not, deBrucky is the one left standing.
