Recruit Spotlight: QB Joshua Alfaro, Covington High School, Class of 2018

by Jace LeJeune

There is no question that the Covington Lions have arguably the best running back in school history in the team's all time leading rusher in Devin Brumfield, but it surely helps when he plays in a very balanced offense that can be very effective in the passing game. Covington senior QB Joshua Alfaro has indeed taken that next step in his progression as a signal caller. Alfaro started his career playing multiple positions including wide receiver, linebacker, and defensive end. Playing multiple positions has really given Alfaro a lot of insight on how to play quarterback. That insight played huge dividends in Alfaro's sophomore season as he got the chance to split time at quarterback. Last season, Alfaro got the full time starting quarterback job and really showed his athleticism throwing for 1,800 yards and 11 touchdowns while running for 700 yards. At 6-3, 215, Alfaro has the perfect frame to be a great quarterback as well as a great arm and mobility to extend plays inside or outside the pocket. Alfaro has all the intangibles, but the question was if Alfaro was going to take the next step as a quarterback after going through his first full season at quarterback. The result would be more than necessary as Alfaro has already thrown for 1,221 yards and 14 touchdowns while running for almost 500 yards and four touchdowns with one coming in on a very athletic leaping touchdown against Dutchtown where Alfaro jumped from the three yard line to get in for the touchdown. What is most impressive is that Alfaro has cut down his interceptions from ten last season to only one with four more games left in the regular season. Louisiana Football Magazine's recruit expert Lee Brecheen has always been impressed with Alfaro's natural ability and now, he believes that Alfaro could have a very special second half of the regular season.

"I really like Joshua Alfaro a lot because he is 6-3, 215 and can really run," Brecheen said. "Alfaro looks like a linebacker that runs like a running back. To top it off, he has a really good arm too. He is very good and even though he only had one full year of starting quarterback under his belt, he showed that he was a big time player."

The Covington Lions have a really good chance to equal or even better the team's 2013 semifinal finish as the offense is one of the very best in the entire state with a veteran offensive line, big playmakers at wide receiver, and one of the best backfield duos that you would ever see in Alfaro and Brumfield. The team has already accomplished a lot this season including beating St. Paul's for the first time since 2013 as well as currently winning district with an undefeated record at 6-0, and already achieving more wins than all of last season, but there is still a lot that Alfaro and the rest of the seniors do want to accomplish including bringing Covington back a district championship and contending for a state championship. With the way this team is clicking, there is no question that they can enter the playoffs with an undefeated record and a chance to make a lot of noise in November especially with #3 as the signal caller. In today's recruit spotlight, the Covington senior QB and Houston Baptist commit talked about the team's hot start, his progression as a quarterback, what he likes most about the Huskies, and so much more!

LAFM: What is your name, age, position, and school you played for?

Joshua Alfaro, 18, QB, Covington High School

LAFM: What is your height and weight?

6-3, 215

LAFM: What is your max bench press, max squat, vertical, and 40 yard time?

Max Bench Press: 255; Max Squat: 405; Vertical: 30'; 40: 4.82

LAFM: What is your ACT score and GPA?

ACT: 22; GPA: 3.7

LAFM: You are committed to play for the Houston Baptist Huskies. What is it about Houston Baptist that has helped you make the decision to commit to them?

They made me feel at home and just gave me a sense that they really wanted me and that they cared about me. The whole time, they were telling me that they wanted me to make the best decision for myself. They did a really awesome job of just building that relationship. Coach Charlie Reeve, who is the quarterbacks coach, has been the main guy that has talked to me so far and we talk to each other like once a week. Our defensive coordinator Charlie Camp has been really the first guy that I talked with because Louisiana is his recruiting region. Talking to both of them was the biggest thing for me. The key was just building a relationship with them and once I made a couple of visits to see the facilities and the campus, it just helped my decision easier. I also have a lot of family that lives there. My brother and his wife live about five minutes from campus. I also think Houston is a great place to play at. All those factors have really helped me to commit there.

LAFM: I know you are a hard commit to Houston Baptist, but are you open to any s if more offers come your way?

I don't want to close any opportunities. I know I am committed to Houston Baptist right now and am really excited about the opportunity, but I also don't want to close off any opportunities before my final decision in February. If something comes along, I will definitely consider my options. Houston Baptist also told me to look at my other options as well if a big school comes along like a Texas A&M or a LSU really wants you. That is another thing about Houston Baptist and that is they want the best for me. If something like that happens, I will consider it but I am really happy at where I am right now. We will see what happens.

LAFM: How many years have you been the starting quarterback at Covington?

I have started at quarterback basically for two in a half years. I first started at quarterback halfway through my sophomore year. Ever since then, I have been in charge.

LAFM: You have a very good frame at 6-3, 215. Have you ever started at any other positions besides quarterback?

Well, at Covington during my freshman year, I was originally an outside linebacker/defensive end. Then, I moved to rover. I did rotate at quarterback as the other quarterback broke his ankle in the opening game and so I came in to play quarterback in my freshman year. In my sophomore year, I was the second string quarterback and the starting wide receiver because the starting quarterback was a senior and they trusted him more with the offense, which was completely understandable. Halfway through the season, they ended up switching me at quarterback and putting him at defensive back, which ended up being the best thing for our team as we won four of the next five games. It was a great second half to that season and ever since, it has been me at the helm, which has been good.

LAFM: Like you mentioned, you played a lot of different positons and were put in a lot of different spots before settling in at quarterback. How does playing different positions such as wide receiver, linebacker, and defensive end have helped you in your progression as a quarterback?

It helps me get perspective of every sense of my life and not just in football. It helps me get perspective of playing other positions. Playing wide receiver, I know how I want to run my routes and how I want the ball to be thrown to me on this route or this other route. As a defensive back or as an outside linebacker, I know what scares me and what makes me feel confident playing on defense. I like to think of myself more as a football player where I can play everything and see everything that is going on. It has definitely helped me play multiple positions growing up as a kid and overall, my I.Q. of the game. It just has helped me grow as a quarterback when it comes to sitting in the pocket and taking a hit. It has helped me use my physicality as a quarterback.

LAFM: You are a very good athlete and seem to have a lot of big time qualities, but what do you have to say is your biggest strength as a quarterback?

I think I have a very good release and have really good decision making. I don't really wait long to throw the ball. I am either going to throw it to my check down or take off and run with it. I think my quick release and my touch on the deep ball are my biggest strengths.

LAFM: What are some areas to your game as a quarterback that you need to improve on?

I think the biggest thing that I need to improve on is my footwork. I have already made big strides when it comes to my footwork from last season to this season. I went to a lot of camps this summer and just learned where to throw the football when there is pressure from different areas as well as when to step back, and when to step up. I would say my footwork and my intermediate passes are areas that I need to improve on. I need to work on how I can put those throws in a more accurate spot.

LAFM: What are some of your statistics over your career as well as some of your biggest accomplishments on the football field?

I would say being 6-0 right now, being the number one team in District 6-5A, and being one of the few undefeated teams left in the state are accomplishments that I am most proud of. I am very proud of how our team responded through adversity whether it was against Dutchtown or Holy Cross when things were hard. We were able to bounce back and make some plays. Personally, I am proud of beating Mandeville my sophomore and junior year, beating St. Paul's this year, and am second all time on the Covington all-time leading passing yards list. I need 207 more passing yards to break that record and four more touchdown passes to break the Covington touchdown passing record. I am very proud of those numbers and am looking forward to breaking them in the next week or two. However, the most important thing for me is to keep on winning. If we keep on winning, I will be happy and that is my state of mind.

LAFM: This is a huge improvement from last year to this year as the team won five games in the whole 2016 season and the team has already won more games in the sixth week of the season. The most impressive thing is that it seems the entire team is clicking especially the offensive side of the football. What are you most impressed about so far with how this offense is playing so far?

I think our ball security has been a very important thing. The biggest improvement on this team has been the offensive line. We have four of the five guys back this year and this is not like that this is a new team. We have the same eleven guys, but we are just more experienced and more calm. We are just used to this type of game atmosphere now. We are resilient and the offense does make plays when we need to. However, the biggest thing is the offensive line. They have given me and Devin paths to run through as well as plenty of time to throw when getting the ball out to our playmakers. Hats off to the offensive line as they have been the real reason for our success.

LAFM: St. Paul's has been the mainstay in the district as far as being the dominant team in District 6-5A. This past week, the team finally defeated St. Paul's for the first time since 2013 and the team is now undefeated with the district lead. How much of a momentum boost was it for the team to get a very important district victory against a team that has been dominating it for the last couple of years?

What I have been talking about to my dad the whole week is that if you want to be the best, you are going to have to beat the best and St. Paul's has been the best team in our district over the last couple of years. We hadn't beat them since 2013 and we knew that they were going to be a tough physical team, which they were. We were just able to keep playing through in the game and got a huge win for our program. That is always a huge week and the biggest rivalry we have. As much as you want to say it is just a normal game, it really is not. It is for the district championship and everybody knows what are the expectations of how important that game is. Getting that one point victory was definitely huge for the program.

LAFM: Is there a or NFL player that you like to model your game after?

I like to watch guys like Cam Newton (Auburn/Carolina Panthers) and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M/Cleveland Browns) especially back in their days when they were running zone read. Those two and Aaron Rodgers (Cal/Green Bay Packers) are the biggest three players that I watch in order to pick up parts from their game. Just the way that they use their feet and mobility in order to set up their arm is incredible. They can run the football, but they can also run out of the pocket in order to throw the ball down the field.

LAFM: What do you plan on majoring in or plan on doing when your football career eventually comes to an end?

I either want to go into business or some kind of communications. I love sports and I love football. I would love to go into journalism. I love sports and I would like to cover sports so it would either be some kind of communications or business degree.

LAFM: What do you usually do when football season is over?

I work in a coffee shop and I just love hanging out with friends. We usually do a couple of things like go out and play basketball or go play football. I am a video games guy. I like playing video games such as Madden or football and I just love watching sports. When there is a game on, I am usually watching it on T.V.

LAFM: What are some personal goals that you are trying to set for yourself for the rest of this season?

My first goal is to win the district title and Covington has not won one in a while and then, finish undefeated in the regular season. Also, I want to make a run at the playoffs, but we will talk about it when it gets there. Personally for me, I want to become 1st Team All-District and would at least be an Honorable Mention for All-Metro and All-State. Finally, I want to beat the passing records at Covington High School before I am done as well.

LAFM: Who are some people in your life that you want to thank for putting you in the position that you are in today?

First off, I want to thank my parents. They have been there for me at every game and have always supported me and have picked me up from every practice. They have done a great job of encouraging me and always talking to me about things that are going on. They have been the biggest supporters throughout my life and I don't know what I would do without them. I also want to thank my two older brothers. Growing up, we always played sports whether it was football or basketball. I want to thank my youth coach, who I had as a kid when I was 10-12 years old. I never played football for him. I usually played defensive end or tight end for him, but he taught me about how the game of football should be played. Finally, I want to thank Coach Greg Salter who has been great to me as well as the entire team.

LAFM: As a senior leader, what is your message to the team and the Covington fans for the rest of the season?

My message is to just be 1-0 against Fontainebleau this week. Don't believe in the hype about last week's big win or that next week is a must win. My thing is that you can't control the past and you can't control the future, but you can control what you are doing right now. My thing is to just be 1-0 this week and focus on this game. Let's get the job done and focus at the task ahead.

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