‘It would be a crazy story.’ Backup quarterback aims to lead Le Grand to state bowl game
When Le Grand High star quarterback Aaron Martinez went down with a knee injury in the final game of the season this past spring, Julian Bucio said his heart dropped to his feet.
“I was saying, ‘Please Aaron get up. I don’t think I’m ready for this,’” Bucio said.
Bucio was the next man up. A 5-foot-8, 130-pound receiver and defensive back thrust into the starting quarterback position.
Martinez knew his knee injury was serious. He would eventually need surgery to repair a torn acl in his knee, which forced him to miss his entire senior season this fall.
“Aaron has been there for me,” Bucio said. “Right after the game, he told me, ‘This is your team now.’”
Bucio took that message to heart.
Learning on the fly, the junior has passed for 2,165 yards and 29 touchdowns. Last week Bucio threw two touchdowns to help lead the Bulldogs (8-5) to a 35-12 win over Woodland Christian in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship game.
This week, Le Grand will make the near six-hour bus ride to McArthur to play undefeated Fall River (11-0) in the CIF Northern Regional 7-AA Bowl Game on Saturday at 3 p.m.
“It feels crazy, it feels amazing,” Bucio said. “I feel a lot of people doubted me and now we’ve won sections. Now we’re playing for the NorCal bowl.”
Adjusting to quarterback
Bucio worked hard over the summer to be ready to play quarterback when this fall season started. As a former receiver, he already knew the routes.
He proved to be a quick learner at quarterback.
“He’s a bright kid,” said Le Grand coach Aaron Martinez Sr. “He’s a 3.5 student. He can absorb those things and he works a lot with (offensive coordinator) Cameron (Graham) and he works a lot with Aaron. It’s been a cool process.
“He’s an athlete,” Martinez Sr. added. “He can throw and do things and we cater our playbook to him. From the get, I got to give it to the players, they’ve just been so accepting to him and what he’s doing.”
Martinez says the main reason Bucio has picked up the quarterback position so quickly is his willingness to be coached.
“You can talk to him and he can take criticism,” he said. “He just wants to learn. He wants to get better.”
Bucio says his teammates have had his back all season and that’s helped his confidence. Also Aaron Martinez Jr. has been out at every practice and helping him along the way.
“He’s been there for me throughout the offseason,” Bucio said. “It feels good to have someone right there next to you. It’s been a big part in my opinion for me to take over his spot. He’s a great leader.”
Becoming a leader
The Bulldogs offense has thrived under Bucio. Receiver Carlos Castaneda has been his top target with 45 catches for 814 yards and 14 touchdowns. Sophomore Reyes Diaz has hauled in 42 catches for 688 yards and five touchdowns.
The Le Grand passing game is dangerous enough to keep teams from solely focusing on stopping the running game led by the Bulldogs running back duo of Louie Aguallo and Isacc Davison.
“There’s nothing watered down,” said Martinez Sr. “Our playbook is wide open and he’s gotten to the point that he’s make some changes at the line. There’s confidence in his game and you can see it. It’s awesome to see. He’s come a long way.”
Bucio and the Bulldogs are ready for the their next challenge.
It’s the second consecutive week Le Grand is facing an undefeated team. The Bulldogs overwhelmed Woodland Christian in the section title game with their physicality.
They’re ready anything Fall River will throw at them.
“We absolutely feel that we’re playing our best football of the year,” Martinez said. “We just feel we’re getting better.”
At stake is a berth in next week’s CIF State Championship Bowl game against the winner of the Southern Regional Bowl between Loara (10-4) and Morro Bay (7-6).
“It would be a crazy story,” Bucio says if Le Grand wins. “Starting quarterback goes down, backup comes in. It would be a crazy story.”
