Posted by bambi2godzilla on 6/14/2007, 8:31 pm Seaside's Michael Avila stands out from the area's elite John Devine That utter look of disbelief. Michael Avila has seen it more times than he cares to recall. The player with the impressive numbers, great hands and blinding speed — stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 155 pounds. "When people look at me, you can see in their eyes they're saying, 'Is this really the guy I've been hearing about?'" Avila said. Avila doesn't play angry. But the Seaside standout plays with a chip on his shoulder. He is not the athlete that trash talks, pounds his chest, showcases arrogance or brings unwanted attention to himself. Rather, the soft-spoken player who politely refers to adults as sir or ma'am, refuses to take a play off, fears no one and puts the team before himself. "I've stayed humble and hungry,'' Avila said. "I'm my own worst critic. But I choose to do it in a positive manner. I don't make it a negative.'' Avila has no control over his size or what people perceive. His accomplishments, however, reveal his true athletic talent. He is The Herald's Male Athlete of the Year. A successful school year| Avila closed one chapter of his life as the first Seaside athlete to be a part of Central Coast Section titles in both football and track. Oh, and he set 17 school records over the course of three years, making him the most decorated athlete at Seaside since Ron Rivera, the former Chicago Bears linebacker who is currently the Chargers linebackers coach. For now, all his honors sit in the closet. There is no letterman's jacket. When his brother-in-law put up his awards, covering a wall in his house, Avila took them down. "Michael is very humble,'' said his father, Seaside football coach Al Avila. "He wants to prove he's the best. All this talk of being too small just fuels his fire." His speed, which often left defenders chasing his shadow in football, blazed on the track where he won a CCS title in the 200 meters and went to the state meet in three events. "Track was a steppingstone for him for football,'' Seaside track coach Quentin Crosby said. "I don't think Michael knew how good he could be in the sport.'' And he likely never will. Avila is headed to San Jose State in the fall on a football scholarship as a wide receiver. The school dropped its track program over a decade ago. "We're the lucky ones,'' San Jose State football coach Dick Tomey said. "Michael is an outstanding prospect. The more you watch him in everything he does, the more you realize what a competitive person he is. He has such a desire to excel.'' Track did enhance his speed on the football field. Couple that with instincts, awareness and vision, and the dynamics for greatness are there. "He makes people look stupid with his ability to move his body,'' said North County's Reggie Topps, who lined up against Avila in football and track. "Michael reminds me of Reggie Bush. He can run full speed, stop on a dime, shake you and just keep going. It's ridiculous.'' Of course, his father noticed all these intangibles when Avila was four years old, outrunning older kids on the field while makings cuts that dad couldn't teach. "He would juke people and outrun his older brothers,'' said his father. "Michael dropped our jaws." A fast start| The first time Avila touched the ball this past fall against Independence on a punt return, he rekindled those memories for his father when he slipped a defender and darted untouched 50 yards for a touchdown. Three months and 13 games later, Avila had produced over 2,400 multi-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns as a receiver, running back, punt returner, kickoff returner and defender. And that doesn't include the seven touchdowns that were called back because of penalties. "Every time I touch the ball, I feel I can make something happen,'' Avila said. "I feel I'm on a different level. It doesn't matter where I play. Just put me on the field.'' Which is exactly what his father did. Over the course of the season, the younger Avila played receiver, slotback, tailback and quarterback on offense. As a result, he caught 48 passes for 780 yards. He also rushed for nearly 700 yards and compiled over 1,000 return yards between punts, kickoffs and interceptions. Of course, moving all over the field also kept him from putting up big numbers at one spot, namely the receiver position, which college recruiters were scouting him for. Avila caught the attention of several recruiters at the Nike Camp and the USC Camp last summer for his receiving talents rather than his size. And while he knew it might take a big season as a receiver to keep schools interested in him, the football season wasn't about individual accolades. "I'm not a selfish player,'' Avila said. "I was willing to make the sacrifice. I wanted to get back to the CCS finals. I didn't care what it took. I don't think about stats." In the mind of Avila, the sacrifice was well worth it. Two straight years of falling short in the title game were erased when the Spartans won the school's first CCS football title last fall. "The first two losses in the finals were the most painful thing I've felt,'' Avila said. "When we won, it was like slow motion. It was the most memorable thing of my career.'' It didn't come without a price. Interest that had swirled around Avila last year as a junior faded. Other prospects had better numbers, not to mention the size that college coaches covet. "What he's going through with his size bothers me,'' said Topps, who stands just two inches taller. "I thought I had good ability. He has great ability. He's the best athlete in the area." Size a factor| Avila isn't oblivious to his physical stature. "Size is an issue,'' Avila said. "Sure it eats me up inside. It just makes me hungrier. It makes me want to prove everyone wrong. It drives me.'' Beyond the field, Avila looked for avenues to enhance his game. Even after he scored five touchdowns in one game, he was looking at film that night.
63.249.102.18
John Devine has done a great job of covering Monterey County sports, not just football, and he does it here again:
Monterey County Herald
6/14/2007
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