2013 PREVIEW: BIG-PLAY WINGBACK TYLER JANITZ HAS KEY ROLE AS GREGORI HIGH CHALLENGES FOR MMC CROWN NUGGET: Tyler Janitz considers himself a baseball player first – and he’s got the performances to back that up – but his willingness to play football is one of the reasons Gregori High in north Modesto is expected to challenge crosstown rivals Downey and Enochs for the Modesto Metro Conference crown in 2013. VIDEO: Some things to see on Janitz’s tape youtube/watch?v=laqvR9Pd1UU&feature=youtu.be : He doesn’t go down easy (25 seconds and 2:45 into the tape), he gets his hands in the QB’s face (2:30), his kickoffs can reach the end zone, he’s got good vision on cutbacks (6:30), he doesn’t give up on the back end of the play (8:15) and he’s got balance after being hit (8:50). STORY: Tyler Janitz was a terror on Gregori High’s JV football team a year ago. Talented enough for varsity squad in 2012, Janitz and all but one other sophomore played JV in a bid to provide a strong foundation for the city’s newest high school. The first stage of that philosophy produced results: While the varsity struggled at 3-7, the JV went 8-1 – the loss was 33-27 to Enochs – to create a sophomore class that had nothing but positive experiences. Janitz was a game-changer, averaging 13.4 yards per carry, 12.6 yards per catch and scoring 10 TDs – and converting 17 of 20 PAT kicks. He had eight carries for 80 yards in that loss to Enochs, so he did plenty of damage when Gregori was facing its most difficult competition. While impressive, those aren’t the numbers that first caught Black Hat Football’s attention. The numbers we loved were 4.49, 2, 5 and 5. Those are his GPA (4.49); Advanced Placement courses he has taken (European history, human geography); pre-AP courses (chemistry, physics, English, geometry and algebra); and AP/pre-AP courses Janitz said he will take this year (US history, environmental science, English, biology and pre-calculus). Not surprisingly, Janitz puts those mental skills to work on the field, as well. “My strength on the field has to be my mental side and my effort. I tend to have a good understanding and feel for the game, and not get too carried away with all chaos,” said Janitz, who plans to take the SAT this fall and then again later to upgrade his score. “I also plan to take subject SAT tests this coming spring, as they are a requirement for some high academic universities.” Somehow, he’s going to balance all that with three sports – he played varsity baseball as a freshman and varsity basketball as a sophomore. “If I had to choose one sport it would be baseball, hands down, and that is what I see myself playing at the next level,” said Janitz, who plays shortstop for the Jaguars but projects to an outfielder or a third baseman as the competition gets more difficult. “Toby Gerhart, Jackie Robinson, and Bo Jackson are my idols because they played more than one sport at high levels.” Janitz’s athletic priority these next four months will be football. His big-play ability makes him crucial in Gregori’s Wing-T, which will try to grind foes into submission. The Jaguars rarely threw the ball on JV or varsity last year, and with last year’s JV QB (Tanner Goudeau) expected to take the varsity snaps, that philosophy is unlikely to change. One thing that will change is the way Janitz is used on offense: He averaged less than seven touches a game last year (49 carries, five catches in eight games), but those 54 plays produced 717 yards and 10 TDs. With that sort of production, the Jags need to put the ball in the wingback’s hands 13 to 17 times a game – including a few downfield passing routes so the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder has the ball with only smaller defensive backs and slower linebackers trying to bring him down in the open field. He’ll likely play a big role at defensive end, as well. While Gregori averaged 25 points a game last fall, it allowed 36 points despite playing just two teams that had winning records. This season’s schedule is set up to provide instant success for the Jaguars, giving them plenty of momentum as they roll into conference play with a likely 4-0 record. Chavez, Ceres and Bear Creek are first up on the schedule, and they were a combined 7-23 last season and are having to rebuild this season. Week 4 brings Liberty Ranch, which was 5-5 last year but lost key personnel, has a new coach and is learning a new offense. Then it’s Modesto (1-9 in 2012) and Downey (rebuilding on both sides of the line) before nemesis Enochs in Week 7 on the beautiful turf at Downey High. It’s easy to see Gregori 6-0 going into that game, and certainly no worse than 5-1. “I have been getting stronger, improving my footwork, and gearing myself to run faster with a lower pad level on the football field because it’s not JV anymore, and I am well aware of that,” saiz Janitz, whose busy summer included baseball camps at Stanford and Oregon State, showcases such as the Bay Area World Series and travel ball with CCB Elite of Palo Alto. “That, along with summer AP homework, takes up a chunk of summer.” Get used to hearing Janitz’s name. Here’s some background on his other sports: ** Baseball: He batted in the No. 3 spot and played shortstop as a freshman, a combination of his skills and the fact that Gregori was fielding its varsity team. “I tried my best to assume a leadership role. It was rough. Being so young, we took our hits … only five wins,” said Janitz, who was the sophomore class president and is the class treasurer this year. “ “My sophomore season (Janitz hit .460 and was all-conference), our team was loaded with six underclass starters, took third place in league (beating Enochs and Beyer), and made a playoff appearance. We have big expectations (this spring) … We are hoping to make a run for the league title and make a mark on Klein Family Field (in the playoffs).” ** Basketball: “I was pulled to varsity as a sophomore because I had a good freshman year on JV, and was physically and mentally ready,” said Janitz, who played small and power forward last winter. “I tried to do whatever it took to help my team get the W … more buckets, rebounds, assists, or coming big on the defensive end. This year I look to become more of a leader.” That leads to these future goals. “My individual goals are to continue to get stronger and improve myself in all aspects,” Janitz said. “I want to tear it up, make history as a team, and sweep league in all three major sports before I graduate. That would be the major goal. “I am blessed to be surrounded by people who motivate me, starting with God, my parents, family, coaches, teachers, and a handful of close friends. They are all always there to keep me on course and I am extremely thankful for that.”
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 19:21:59 +0000
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