Prep football: Starting quarterback Wiegel to lead AAA state champion Horsemen

Lee Yobbi | The New Mexican

8/29/2008 - 8/30/08

He felt like he aged two years in 10 minutes.

The news came and left Michael Wiegel reflecting on what his future would hold. He would not be making decisions solely for himself anymore. He was the man now.

Michael Wiegel found out early last week that he would become the starting quarterback of the St. Michael's Horsemen. He would be taking the reins of the reigning Class AAA State Champions after Dylan Walter succumbed to a chipped patella bone and cartilage damage.

The senior is expected to miss the rest of the season, according to head coach Joey Fernandez.

"I definitely had to grow up right then and make more mature decisions," says Wiegel, a 5-foot-11, 172-pound sophomore. "It was time to forget about making mistakes, because they're going to happen, and just do what I had to do."

Wiegel will make his first start today against Bloomfield. He knows the nerves will be there. So will the adrenaline.

"At first it might take an interception or a hit or something big to get me settled," Wiegel says. "But I feel like I'm pretty confident. I'm not scared of getting hit."

That's a plus because Fernandez, unlike in recent seasons, is going to stick mainly to the running game as personnel dictates.

"I've had to change my mind-set, I've had to adapt because we're not going to get yards in big chunks like we have in years past," says Fernandez, who earned the nickname "Air Fernandez" for his propensity to pass when he was an offensive coordinator with the Horsemen before taking over the program in 2002.

"That's already happened because I'll be in practice and look down and say, 'Shoot, it's been 20-30 minutes since we've thrown a pass,' " he says.

The Horsemen are going to line up in two-back sets and pound the ball. But knowing Fernandez, the air won't be completely let out of the ball.

"I feel like I'm getting more confident with the offense," Wiegel says. "We'll keep working on things I'm sure."

Wiegel is not the only part of the youth movement. Starting fullback Michael Lamb and starting slot back Russell Disch are also sophomores. Tailback Manuel Trujillo is the team's leading returning rusher as a senior.

Seven players will go both ways, including those three. Other than Walter, the other starters have remained healthy.

The young players are fortunate to have drawn Bloomfield in the opener. The Bobcats run a lot of the same plays out of the same sets as St. Michael's. But as Fernandez says, "it's when you plug in the personnel that makes the difference."

The returning players will see familiar faces on the field. St. Michael's faced Bloomfield in the Class AAA playoffs last season, beating the Bobcats 23-15 in a quarterfinal in Bloomfield. The Bobcats had drawn the No. 4 seed in the 12-team bracket. St. Michael's was five.

"They lost players in the skill positions like we have," Fernandez says.

Wiegel has impressed Fernandez with his poise and execution. The sophomore was 8 of 10 passing in a scrimmage against Moriarty on Aug. 23. Wiegel has shown he can lead the team in practice as well.

The only thing left for Wiegel will be the most telling: how he performs when it counts.