Saturday, October 4, 2010
[YouTube]
📺 TRINITY LEAGUE DEBUT: 5 TOUCHDOWNS VS ORANGE LUTHERAN
👤 Andrew Pritchett-Tucker
📌 2,312,847 subscribers
👁️ 1,584,329 views | ⏳ Posted 15 days ago
💬 12,482 comments
[Comments Section]
@TherryFootballDad:
I've been watching high school football in California for 15 years and I've never seen a junior debut like this in the Trinity. This is historic.
@LAXSkater92:
I don't understand anything about football, but bro, every time you upload a highlight I feel like going out for a run or at least doing some exercise.
@Brad69:
As a Mater Dei alum, all I can say is: thank you, Andrew. You brought back the hope. This time the section championship is coming home!
@Boscoislife99:
Wait until you face Bosco… then we'll see if you can keep scoring that many TDs.
@Kiraman52 (replying to @Boscoislife99):
Dude, did you forget the Dana Hills final? Mater Dei vs your beloved Bosco, ring a bell? Andrew threw 6 TDs and nearly 400 yards in that game. Better pray he doesn't humiliate you again.
@IronPumpGym:
Bro, your throwing mechanics are at least college-level. Please upload your shoulder and core routine 🙏
@SoCalCheerQueen:
Anyone else notice Andrew doesn't celebrate arrogantly? He scores a TD, walks, and moves on to the next play. 🐐 vibes.
@OrangeFan12:
I was at the stadium, my brother plays for Orange… not sure if he'll recover from this...
@AndrewFanPage1 (replying to @OrangeFan12):
My condolences, hope he recovers soon 🙏
@FootballRecruit247:
Confirmed: Rivals is going to have to re-rank ASAP. What this kid does is not normal.
@TrollMasterBY:
5 TDs against Orange Lutheran isn't that big of a deal… once you face Bosco and Servite, you'll cry.
@Oldryd:
If you had faced Orange Lutheran from the 2000s you would've been destroyed, lucky kid.
@MonicaGR:
Oh my God, the haters are a joke 😂. Before they said Andrew only shined against lower division teams… now he puts up 5 TDs against a Trinity League powerhouse and it's still not enough for them. Seriously? The only clear thing is that no matter who he plays against, they'll always find excuses.
@AndrewNation:
I watched that 64-yard pass 20 times. The ball floated like it was out of a video game. Incredible! Not even Matt Barkley pulled that off!
@MomOfThree:
I don't know anything about this sport, but my son was watching this video and now he takes things seriously, including his diet. Thanks for inspiring the kids 💪.
@WillMD:
Raise the Trinity League difficulty level…
…
Two weeks and a day had passed since Andrew's debut in the Trinity League.
In that time, Mater Dei played two more games, and Andrew never stopped dominating.
The Friday next, the team traveled to face Santa Margarita, in a stadium with a vibrant atmosphere. But not even the pressure of the home crowd could stop Andrew.
Mater Dei prevailed 40–20, and he delivered another stellar performance: 4 touchdowns (3 through the air and 1 on the ground), over 300 passing yards, and once again, zero interceptions.
It was already his third consecutive game surpassing 300 yards and throwing 4 TDs, something no quarterback in Mater Dei's history had ever achieved consecutively.
A week later, in Santa Ana, it was time to face JSerra. By then, the buzz surrounding Andrew was electric, expectations kept growing game after game. And he did not disappoint.
In this matchup, Andrew threw 5 touchdown passes, nearly reaching 400 passing yards, marking his best performance so far. His record remained spotless: the only interception he carried came from a preseason scrimmage, never in the Trinity League.
For Andrew, that mistake was a personal thorn, a play he remembered every night, and his motivation to keep his league interception record flawless. That alone was bound to become another record.
In total, across five games since September, Andrew had already piled up 23 touchdowns, just 1 interception, and 1,675 passing yards, averaging 4.6 TDs per game. Insane numbers.
To put it in perspective, last season as a sophomore, Max Wittek threw 24 touchdowns in 9 games, averaging 2.6. Andrew was already one score away from matching that total. In his sixth game, with just 2 TDs, he would surpass it.
The debate on Mater Dei's campus about whether Bruce had made the right decision giving Andrew the starting spot was over: Wittek was now part of the past.
Nobody even mentioned Max anymore. Not even his biggest supporters questioned Andrew now.
The impact was felt all across campus. Mater Dei students were overflowing with excitement, every game was a show, not just football but a spectacle where Andrew was redefining what a quarterback could do in the Trinity League.
At the same time, Andrew's YouTube channel was riding the wave. He uploaded highlights from every game, starting with his debut against Orange. With each new video, the views skyrocketed.
He surpassed 2.3 million subscribers just a few days ago. Top 3 most-subscribed YouTuber in the world.
He had previously reached #2, right below Nigahiga, who already had 2.8 million. However, Fred recently climbed back up and overtook him with 2.4 million.
With the biggest Trinity League matchups ahead, plus the regional playoffs, Andrew was confident he could surpass Fred again, though catching Nigahiga seemed tough.
That was just more good news. With their 3–0 record already secured, Mater Dei was guaranteed a playoff spot even if they lost the next two games, though that was clearly not the plan.
By now, it was confirmed that Andrew's level was no coincidence. It didn't matter if he played at Palisades or Mater Dei: summer tournaments, scrimmages, or league games, the level was the same, in fact, higher.
Andrew knew this better than anyone. At Palisades, he carried a limited team, leading them to historic titles almost single-handedly, supported only by his childhood friends. He had chosen to stay there because he wanted that challenge: to push himself, to grow as a player and as a leader. And he did it.
Now, at Mater Dei, the situation was different. Surrounded by elite talent and backed by a first-class coaching staff, Andrew was reaching the peak of his abilities. He was still the leader, but no longer had to carry the entire team on his shoulders. He could play more freely, with confidence, and the numbers proved it: he was at his best.
If he kept this pace, he would finish the season with 69 touchdowns, an unheard-of figure in Division 1. He even believed he could surpass that and match the 72 TDs from his freshman year at Palisades.
As the season advanced, he felt more in rhythm, building greater synergy with his offensive teammates...
So far, Mater Dei held a perfect Trinity League record: 3–0, tied with Servite, the defending champion.
The next challenge couldn't be more symbolic: St. John Bosco, in their own house.
Bosco came in at 2–1, after a close road loss to Servite.
The atmosphere promised to be the most hostile yet: a packed stadium, stands flooded with blue and white, and a rival determined not to lose another league game.
Still, that was all yet to come. Today was Saturday. A little past nine in the morning. One day after the victory against JSerra.
Andrew was at his grandfather's house. In the middle of the freshly cut lawn, grandfather and grandson were tossing passes back and forth, almost like a shared ritual.
Jay caught the ball firmly, as if to prove he still had his reflexes. Then he threw it back with a serious expression, though his eyes shone with a pride he could hardly hide. He was watching his grandson become the undisputed star of the Trinity League.
"Good game yesterday," Jay said, adjusting his cap to shield himself from the morning sun. "Five touchdowns… nearly four hundred yards. You're making history at Mater Dei, kid."
Andrew smiled. "Thanks, Grandpa. But it's not enough yet. We need to win the league. Otherwise, the stats don't mean anything."
Jay nodded in agreement. Having good stats was nice individually, but if it didn't lead to championships or at least deep playoff runs, it wasn't the same.
"Nervous about facing Bosco?" Jay asked curiously as he tossed the ball back.
Andrew caught it easily and shook his head. "Nah. I already faced them at Dana Hills and threw six touchdowns. Sure, a 7-on-7 isn't the same as a full game, but I know them a little better now."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "But this time it's at their stadium, with their crowd, and they're coming off a loss. They'll want revenge for that final you beat them in. They'll come out swinging."
He looked for a hint of nerves on Andrew's face, but instead found a slight smile.
"That's the exciting part. Beating them in their stadium is worth more than a summer tournament final," Andrew said.
Jay shook his head, though smiling. "Don't say that in the interview or they'll call you arrogant," he joked.
That very morning at 10:45 a.m., Andrew had an interview with ESPN Recruiting Nation. Jay would accompany him, along with his parents, who would be picking him up shortly.
The night before, after the Friday game, the whole family had dinner at Jay's house, so Andrew stayed over, as he had many times before.
ESPN Recruiting Nation is an ESPN brand dedicated to covering high school-to-college recruiting across multiple sports, football among them. It wasn't a daily studio show like SportsCenter, but rather segments on ESPNU and weekly specials. The top players (especially those ranked in the national Top 10) were often invited for studio interviews.
Andrew had been invited for one today. The offices were in Los Angeles, about a thirty-minute drive away.
"I know," Andrew replied thoughtfully. "I'll be humble. Although, honestly, a little confidence never hurts when it comes to headlines, or to heat up the matchup."
It wasn't arrogance. Andrew simply trusted what he could do. He knew Bosco would be a tougher opponent than JSerra, Orange, or Santa Margarita, but not an impossible monster. The real challenge was Servite, the defending champion, a team Mater Dei hadn't beaten in years.
"On the other hand," Jay continued, "the game will be broadcast on Fox Sports West. Doesn't that make you nervous?"
Fox Sports West, California's top regional channel, had already confirmed at the start of the season that they would cover the Bosco–Mater Dei rivalry. It wasn't a national broadcast, outside the state, no one would see it. But the fact that all of California could watch it live was huge.
Andrew caught the ball, spun it in his hand, then smiled calmly. "Actually, it excites me. Being on TV is incredible, but it doesn't make me nervous. Since I upload all my games to YouTube, I'm already used to thousands of people waiting to see what I do every week. It's pretty much the same: there's an audience that wants results. So it doesn't feel that crazy."
Jay looked at him for a few seconds, then chuckled softly. "You play in front of thousands and don't even flinch. There are kids your age who get nervous about giving a school speech."
"How's the adjustment going?" he asked next, changing the subject. "I don't mean on the field, I already know that part. I mean socially. How are things with your new teammates, and with your old friends?"
Andrew widened his eyes dramatically, feigning surprise. "Whoa, Jay Pritchett taking an interest in my social life? I've got to tell Dad and Auntie, they'll faint when they hear this…"
Jay tossed the ball a little harder, grimacing. "Shut up and answer."
Andrew caught it, laughing. "It's good. It wasn't too hard to balance things despite switching schools. At Mater Dei, I get along with Victor, Nick, and the guys, but mostly we just share practices and games. Outside of that, I don't really hang out with them."
He still saw his lifelong friends, Steve, Reggie, Archie, and Kevin, though less than before. Now it was mostly on weekends when they could meet up.
And then there were Leonard and Howard, with whom he talked almost daily and played online during the week, plus they always met on Fridays.
Same with Willa. Even Haley, though she was his cousin, had become part of that circle too, somewhere between family and inseparable friend.
"As for social life at Mater Dei…" Andrew continued, spinning the ball in his hands. "Of course I get invited to parties. Starting QB, record-breaking stats, winning team, you know how it is. But I haven't gone to a single one."
"Why not?" Jay asked, though he already knew the answer.
"You know, if I go to every party I get invited to after a game or on a Saturday, I lose my weekends with my friends," Andrew said with a shrug.
Andrew had learned to organize his time around his different circles.
On one side were Leonard, Howard, Willa, Haley, Pippa, Zach, and Cara, his closest group. They spent Friday or Saturday nights playing board games, watching movies, talking, and making weekend plans.
On the other side, he still kept in touch with Kevin, Reggie, Archie, Steve, and several former teammates from Palisades.
Although both groups knew each other and got along, having shared some good moments together, it wasn't easy to bring them together all the time. Their interests weren't the same, their dynamics didn't quite match, and Andrew had to split his time carefully.
On top of that was Pippa, his girlfriend, who also required her own space in his schedule.
Adding a third circle of friendships from Mater Dei was simply unworkable. Andrew knew he couldn't stretch himself into three, and his free time was too valuable to spend in an environment that never really attracted him.
Not that he was antisocial or someone who outright rejected those experiences. Maybe at some point he'd accept an invitation just for a change, to laugh a little and hang out with his Mater Dei teammates. But doing it every weekend, like many kids his age, was out of the question.
He got bored quickly in that kind of environment, and above all, he knew that habits like staying up late, drinking, breaking routine, would only pull him away from the path he had chosen.
Besides, there was another front he couldn't neglect: academics. Many elite football programs, USC, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, also demanded strong grades.
It wasn't enough to be MVP every week; he needed to keep a solid GPA. And in the spring, the SAT awaited him, an exam he had already begun preparing for quietly.
Of course, being such a coveted prospect, colleges could afford to be more lenient with him. They weren't going to shut the door over a couple of average grades. But Andrew knew it clearly: he couldn't let himself become an academic mess.
Jay watched in silence as he caught another pass and threw it back calmly. "You didn't mention Pippa. Everything okay with her?" he asked suddenly.
The question caught Andrew off guard. Not only because of his grandfather's sharpness in noticing the omission, but also because Jay usually stayed out of sentimental matters.
Andrew knew there were small exceptions with him. Over the years they had shared more intimate moments, times when Jay dared to crack that old-school veteran shell of his.
Even so, Andrew couldn't help but grimace. His personality carried something of that old-school mindset too, similar to Jay, and partly to many boys his age who weren't exactly good at talking about their feelings. He had improved over time, sure, but he wasn't like Manny, who could recite his emotions like poetry.
At any other time, that question would've been easy to answer: things with Pippa were going great. But right now, that wasn't the case. Right now, it wasn't the truth.
Andrew squeezed the ball tightly and sighed, wondering why, of all times, his grandfather had to bring it up now, when things were going wrong.
Silence hung in the garden, while Jay watched him patiently, waiting for the answer.
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