Alcazar’s offseason work paying off early for Thunder

When Jace Alcazar heard Buhach Colony High School’s game against Clovis North was canceled two weeks ago, he was upset, like many of his teammates.

Alcazar and his fellow seniors were looking at the possibility of only playing nine games in their final season.

Fortunately for the Thunder, coach Kevin Navarra started scrambling and was able to schedule a last-minute game against Central of Fresno, which also had its Sept. 11 game canceled due to poor air quality. Buhach Colony (2-1) will face the Grizzlies (0-3) today at 7 p.m. at Daren Koligian Stadium in Fresno.

“It was a real bummer because we haven’t beaten Clovis North the three or four times we’ve played them,” Alcazar said. “Then when the game was canceled again on that Saturday, it looked like we were only going to have a nine-game season. When we heard we were playing Central, it was good knowing we weren’t losing that game. It’s an opportunity for another win.”

Alcazar, a tight end/outside linebacker, worked hard to get ready for this season, spending one to two hours in the weight room four to five days per week. The work paid dividends as Alcazar saw his bench press numbers improve 50 pounds to 285 pounds and his power clean marks improve 40 pounds to 265.

Alcazar also attended football camps at Sacramento State, UC Davis and Fresno State.

“After the offseason he had, he’s one of our most physical blockers and disciplined route runners,” Navarra said. “He’s just as physical on defense, and he brings experience. Besides Kory (Woods), he’s been one of our leaders on defense. He can get the calls in and get us adjusted. He spends a lot of time watching video and studying our opponents.”

Alcazar has been a disruptive force after switching from middle to outside linebacker this year. He has five sacks in three games.

The switch to outside wasn’t difficult for Alcazar because he played the position his sophomore year.

“Our linebackers are a lot better than last season,” Alcazar said. “Our secondary has also stepped up to play the run and pass. That’s going to be big against the spread teams we’re going to face. Last year, we kind of lacked a pass rush, and I feel we can get more pressure this year.”

The Thunder hopes to carry the momentum from its last two games into tonight’s matchup and through the rest of the season. Buhach Colony is coming off dominant wins over Enochs (43-19) and Pacheco (60-13).

The Thunder rushed for 357 yards and five touchdowns against Enochs and followed with 487 rushing yards with six touchdowns against Pacheco.

Alcazar even got involved in the passing game against Pacheco, catching two passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.

“It felt pretty good to score a touchdown,” Alcazar said. “Tight ends don’t get a lot of buzz in the fly offense so it felt good to get out and score.

“The Enochs and Pacheco games were good games to get our offense going. Those games helped get our (running) backs used to the varsity level. Central is going to be a good test. We’ll see if our backs can stay consistent.”

The hope is that the Thunder will be ready when Central California Conference play comes around. After winning three consecutive conference championships, Buhach Colony has missed the playoffs the last two seasons.

This group wants to get the Thunder back in the postseason.

“It’s very important, especially off back-to-back down seasons,” Alcazar said. “We have good chemistry on this team. I feel we’ll be competitive in league again and hopefully get back to the playoffs.”

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Alcazar’s offseason work paying off early for Thunder."