Interview: 2021 QB Donny Fitzgerald Talks Breakout 4,100-Yard 54-TD Season
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
There are high school football debuts and then there is what Class of 2021 quarterback Donny Fitzgerald did for Coachella Valley High School during the 2018 season. Fitzgerald was a magician defying the odds against California Division 10 competition for 4,139 yards with 54 touchdowns. If that is not impressive enough, the 6-1, 170-pound, rising star also rushed for 472 yards with six more scores going up on the board. That kind of positive noise brings a crowd on the recruiting trail. To learn more about Fitzgerald and the amazing sophomore season he produced, we sat down for an in-depth one-on-one interview.
Interview
Donny, your stat line is nothing short of amazing especially considering you did it all in 10 games. Did you surprise yourself by how well you were playing in the pocket this season?
“I definitely surprised myself. In Week 1, I got hurt not staying in the pocket. When I came back in Week 3 I played in just one half of the game. After that, I was trusting my line and receivers, and the offense I play in, that helped a lot with my stats.”
It doesn’t seem like there were many challenges for you, but what were some of the challenges you had to overcome or things you had to improve upon from Game 1 to the end of the schedule?
“Believing that it is varsity football not freshman or JV football. Being a young guy at the varsity level was a big stepping stone for me. The speed of the game was a challenge. I was studying film all the time, going through defenses, and learning how to read them. I had to improve on what I was seeing at the line so I could make plays.”
During your breakout season you were able to showcase your dual-threat abilities, was that something you’ve always been able to do or did that start to come out during the 2018 season?
“I’ve always been able to run. Actually, this year was the least I ran it which was weird for me but I had a fun season.”
What type of offense were you running with the Arabs and how does the offense fit your skillset?
“We were running the Run-and-Shoot and some Air-Raid. It fits my skillset by being such a tall pocket passer with a diverse skillset. I am learning the game not just running around.”
Looking back on your sophomore season, what do you now consider to be the strengths of your game?
“I feel that I have my deep pass down, but I am working on checking down. My running is a strength but I am doing better at trusting my offensive line who did a great job of protecting me. I feel that I have it all down.”
With the big season that you had, did you earn any post-season honors?
“Yes. I received first team All-League, and our local newspaper, the Desert Sun, named me Offensive Player of the Year.”
Wow. That is fantastic. When you found out, you might have expected it, but what was that feeling for you?
“It was a really good feeling. I was not sure what I would get being a young QB in the league with a lot of older guys in the league. But I feel the stats proved I should be up there on this list.”
What will you work on this offseason?
“Perfecting my craft. I am playing 7v7 this offseason. I am looking forward to going to big tournaments so I can compete against the best of the best. With my technical work, I will work on my pocket presence and footwork as well.”
It is early for you in the recruiting process, but chances are numbers like that bring some recruiting interest.
“Yes. I am receiving interest from Eastern Washington, UCLA, Texas Tech, and Arizona State.”
Nice. Have you had a chance to take any unofficial visits yet?
“Yes. I have been twice to UCLA.”
How did the UCLA visits go?
“It was a good experience. I had a lot of fun being in that environment. They took me down on the field; that was fun.”
Do you have any planned visits you may take?
“Yes. Texas Tech wants me to go to one of their camps this offseason and so does Arizona State.”
Donny, it was great learning more about you and your game today. I appreciate your time.
“Thank you.”
Photo credit: Desert Sun; No. 3 Donny Fitzgerald in action