July 20, 2011
Injuries are just part of competitive sports. While there is never a good time for an injury, having one during the high school junior year can really slow down the recruiting process for a prospect. For Andrew Olson of Hilmar, last season ended in the third game.
Despite that setback, Olson is a 6-foot-2 and 185 pound quarterback who can run 4.90 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has a shuttle time of 4.49 seconds, bench press 300 pounds, squat 500 pounds, has a vertical of 33 inches, and a long throw of 60 yards. Hilmar finished last season at 6-4 with a first round playoff loss. The loss of Olson did affect the continuity of the team.
Hilmar Coach Frank Marques says about the injury, "His injury was a blow to our team. The positive thing that came out of the injury was how he still came to practice and help his back up with reads and encouragement. No doubt that missing the majority of last season hurt our team, his development, and the recruiting process. Without much film and statistics, it is hard for recruiters to evaluate Andrew. So, that's why for him, it's going to be important to have a fast start."
Olson models his game after Nevada Wolf Pack Colin Kaepernick because he has good footwork, accuracy, and makes good decisions with the ball. Hilmar runs the spread offense but Olson also trains under center with his quarterback coach, Roger Theder. Despite the injury, Olson has started six varsity games as he considers his best skill to be his accuracy as he has the ability to place the ball anywhere on the field with a flick of the wrist.
Olson has been playing football since he was eight years old as he has attended several summer camps that include Fresno State, Menlo, Nevada Reno, Sacramento State, San Diego State, and San Jose State. He won the quarterback MVP at the National Underclassman Combine at Chabot College in Hayward earlier in the summer. He has also been invited to participate in the Ultimate 100 in Los Angeles as well as the Cal State Game 5 Star Skills and Drills Camp in Oxnard, California.
Despite being hurt most of last season, Fresno State and Sacramento State still have Olson on their radar. Olson wants to play for a competitive program with a good coaching staff and would prefer to stay close to home, but he would go anywhere that wants his services. He wants to major in History and wants the college to provide a wide scope of History courses.
Coach Marques has this opinion of Olson, "Quick release, strong arm, great decision making on the zone read, leadership, work ethics, and is physically and mentally strong. Andrew leads by example and is a fierce competitor on the field. Off the field, he is dedicated to the weight room and is a student of the game. I think he has the tools to play at the college level. We will have to see how he performs this season. He has had a great spring and summer. So, I'm very optimistic. I do think that Andrew will end up having a successful college career. The only question is, is at what level. We are lucky to have Andrew here at Hilmar High School."
Olson considers himself to be very good at memorization as the ability to memorize is vital to the game of football to know all the plays, recognize coverage, and be able to call out blocking schemes. His biggest football adversity was breaking his arm last season while remaining optimistic. His biggest non-football adversity was the recent death earlier this summer of Hilmar High Offensive Line Coach Franky Silveira who was 25 years old.
Olson muses about the sudden death of Coach Silveira and what he meant to his team, "He was not only a great coach, but he was a friend to many as well as a loving brother. One word that I would use to describe Coach Franky would be "dedicated." He was so into Hilmar Football and our team as a whole. He was always there to open up the weight room, always there to give us advice and words of encouragement as well as an occasional kick in the rear end if we needed it. The O- line has retained a lot of information from Coach Franky and they intend to put it to use this season. Coach Franky was about pushing all of us to the limits to make Hilmar Football the best that we can be. He knew just how vital the O- line is to the game as he put everything into coaching the position but also mentored all of us at every other aspect of the game. Coach Franky will be greatly missed but not forgotten. We will play each game in his memory making him proud as we fight hard, week in and week out, to bring the Blue banner back to Hilmar."
Needless to say, Hilmar will dedicate the upcoming season to Coach Silveira. Olson wants to pass for 3,000 yards, rush for 1,000 yards, and help his team make a run for the state title. Watch for Olson to be back on the hill for his Yellow Jackets in Hilmar this upcoming season.
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