LE GRAND -- Rick Martinez says he's not going to waste one minute thinking about next season until this magnificent Le Grand High football campaign has come to an end.
The 12-0 Bulldogs face 10-2 Highlands today at 6 p.m. in Lodi's Grape Bowl for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 5 championship.
A win today would give the Bulldogs their second straight section crown. They then would have to wait a week to see if they have been selected to represent Northern California in the Division 4 state bowl in Carson on Dec. 16.
Only then can Martinez can start to think about 2012 and the chore of replacing a lot of talented seniors, including quarterback Alex Bucio, running back Daniel Guizar and receiver Zach Moreno.
Yes, every coach has to replace players every season, and even coming off a section title Martinez had his doubts in September about this year's team.
"We weren't sure about this year because this group of seniors wasn't as nasty as the kids of last year," Martinez said.
"People do try to compare teams. These kids are more mechanically sound and don't make as many mistakes. Last year, we were more nasty and when they did make mistakes they took it personal and were going to make up for that mistake two-fold on the next play."
His search has to start at quarterback, where you just don't replace a performer like Bucio. In two seasons, he's thrown for 3,942 yards and 65 touchdowns against six interceptions.
But maybe Martinez can find Bucio's replacement the same way he found Bucio ... by chance.
In the spring of 2010, Martinez was without a clear-cut quarterback choice for that fall. He happened to be driving past a Planada park one afternoon after school and noticed some high school boys throwing around a football.
One boy in particular had some zip on his throws, and Martinez recognized him as being Bucio, who as a sophomore played his first season of organized football -- as a receiver.
"I walked up and asked, 'Bucio, what are your grades like?,' " Martinez said. "For me, if a kids shoots right back with a 4.0, you know it's legit.
"He said, 'They're good, coach.'
"I asked, 'Are they good-good, or are they just good?'
"He said, 'Coach, I'm a 4.0. I'm smart.'
"I said, 'Nice. What do you think about playing quarterback?'
"That was in the spring after baseball and now I think he's become the best quarterback in the history of Le Grand High School."
For his part, Bucio knew he wanted to come back and play on the varsity as a junior, but playing quarterback hadn't even struck him as a possibility.
"I was the quiet one as a sophomore, just listening to all the guys talk about big games and rivalries," Bucio said. "As we went through the season, I started getting some of the same passion as the other guys who had been playing for a long time.
"When coach asked me if I wanted to play quarterback, I didn't know if I wanted to be put on that spot, but I accepted it and took the challenge. There's nothing better than playing quarterback."
All high school careers end, and whether this week, next week or in mid-December, Martinez is going to have to begin his search for the next Bulldog signal-caller.
"We'll have to find some pieces for the puzzle and that will be a chore, but we're confident we can do that," Martinez said. "I have no idea who our quarterback will be next year."
Rest assured his search will include a complete scouring of Planada's parks.
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