If there is any question about why La Habra High School running back Joshua Quezada is so successful on the football field, there is a simple answer.
He harbors an intense commitment to getting better.
He always has. And while it isn't necessarily unique, the consistency and intensity with which he approaches it might be.
"I have an opportunity to prepare myself for my future, to take bigger and bigger steps," Quezada said. "Before my freshman season, I wanted to get ready to play varsity. My sophomore year, I wanted to get ready for college. I wanted to push myself to the next step, be ready for the next level."
The 6-foot, 210-pound senior is on the right track.
As the Highlanders prepare to open the season at La Mirada on Sept. 11, Quezada is the team's marquee player, the leader in a program that has become one of the most stable among the CIF-Southern Section's perennial contenders.
His performances have earned him scholarship offers from a list of college programs, including Fresno State, Washington, Hawaii, New Mexico State, BYU, Stanford, Utah, Colorado State and San Diego State.
Oregon State and California have indicated a strong interest, and it's reasonable to expect that others will join the list as the season progresses.
"He has earned the recognition," coach Frank Mazzotta said. "He is the hardest working kid. He's the most dedicated in the weight room, he's the most prepared in the classroom. "Just in general, he's so far ahead of most high school kids in terms of work ethic. In that sense, he's a college kid right now, not just in football but in life issues as well." Last season, Quezada was part of the Highlanders' Thunder and Lightning offense that also featured Ronnie Hillman, now at San Diego State. Quezada was Thunder, rushing for 1,680 yards and 17 touchdowns. He averaged 8.5 yards per carry. He also was a prime receiver out of the backfield. While Hillman, the Daily News' Player of the Year, was perhaps a bit faster and more the slasher type, Quezada was always fast enough and could be considered the punisher type. Although his style doesn't require space for him to be successful, his ability to run over or through tacklers sometimes overshadows the patience he employs that allows him to set up blocks, then accelerate off them. He acknowledges that his accomplishments to date have set the bar high for future evaluations, but he is looking for new challenges. "Of course, there is pressure to perform," he said. "The accomplishments so far are because of all the hard work I've put in, but I still have goals. Expectations are very high. "I always feel I can do better, get better. I know I can never be perfect, but I can try to be." Quezada, whose father is Samoan, is almost as well known for his hair as he is for his exploits on the field. He knows his long, bushy, Samoan- style look (a la Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu) is fair-game for opposing defenders. "Oh, yeah, people grab it," Quezada said. "It has stopped me from making a couple of touchdowns." He also might be a bit superstitious about it. "In the first round of the playoffs (last season) I decided to stick all of it inside my helmet," he said. "I was having an off game, so I took it out and let it flow after the first quarter, and then I had a better game." Hair tucked away or flowing, hard to imagine Quezada having an off game.
