close
close
powertid

Orange Lutheran quarterback TJ Lateef finishes strong in the Elite 11 – Orange County Register

Vaseline

Orange Lutheran quarterback and Nebraska commit TJ Lateef finished strong in the Elite 11 on Thursday at Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach. (Photo by Dan Albano, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

MANHATTAN BEACH – Orange Lutheran’s TJ Lateef and his fellow Elite 11 quarterbacks were asked a probing self-reflection question this week before the three-day camp.

The group of touted, collegiate recruits were invited to reflect on their “intent” for the competition. Lateef thought about his goals and inner determination, and held on tight.

“My intention,” he said, “was to compete against the best quarterbacks and learn from each one.”

“And (learn) not just on the field,” he added. “Also off the field.”

On the third and final day, Lateef showed his drive and growth. After a slow start to the event, the Nebraska commit finished strong Thursday, completing 17 of 23 passes (74 percent) with four touchdowns to hold its own in 7-on-7 practices.

Lateef (6-2, 195) was especially sharp in his final possession, driving for a quick score before time expired.

“It was fun,” he said. “(The camp) was probably one of the greatest experiences I’ve had. … It was like a big brotherhood. Everyone threw themselves into each other.”

Lateef said he learned from his struggles early in camp.

“I’ve had some ups and downs, but that’s part of the process,” he said. “The first day I was too excited to come out here and throw. I felt like I just needed to calm down, breathe. Breathing was another thing we learned, which helped me tremendously. And don’t let the moment be bigger than it is.”

Lateef plans to return to Orange Lutheran for his senior season.

He will lead an offense that returns wide receivers Chris Flores Jr., Tyler Hennessy and Nicholas Bland, plus Arizona State committed tight end AJ Ia.

Former Orange Lutheran standout wide receiver Austin Pettis is the new offensive coordinator.

“I love him,” Lateef said of Pettis. “I feel like he has a great plan. I feel like he’s going to develop these receivers into probably the best receivers we can ever have.”

“(The offense) will look different,” he added. “It’s getting faster (pace).”

Orange Lutheran plays a challenging schedule for the Trinity League. The Lancers open Aug. 23 at Serra of Gardena and will play Rancho Cucamonga, St. Frances Academy of Maryland, Bishop Gorman of Nevada and Sierra Canyon before the regular season.

Lateef is enthusiastic and confident about the challenge.

“We’re going to run the gauntlet from the start, so it’ll be fun,” he said. “I use this thing called ‘Me versus Me.’ I’m fighting against myself, against the man in the mirror.”

“I know what I can do,” he added. “This is the year (for Orange Lutherans).”

Related Posts