Athlete of the Week: Santiago Gonzales

Story by Walter Dorman

Photos by W. Dean Howard Photography

The Farmington Scorpions earned their first win of the season Friday night with a hard-fought 21-17 victory over the Falcon Falcons, and the heart of the defense, senior Santiago Gonzales, was right in the middle of it all. The middle linebacker turned in a huge performance, piling up tackles and delivering one of the game’s key turning points with an interception in the third quarter.

Head Coach Jeff Dalton said Gonzales’ impact was felt from the opening series.

“He’s our middle linebacker. He’s the quarterback of the defense, getting us in the right alignments. Our first two series on defense, we really struggled. He identified some key things, some responsibilities we were missing, and got us lined up a little bit better. That comes from his experience. He’s a four-year starter for us… he really has a grasp on the defense and how to help make adjustments.”

For Dalton, what stood out most about Gonzales wasn’t just his football IQ, but his toughness and commitment.

“Getting us in better situations is good. He’s always done that, but really what stood out was just his physicality. His effort and his willingness to stick his neck out for his teammates is second to none. He’s been a little banged up, but he doesn’t hold back at all. He makes really physical plays.”

One of those plays came at a crucial moment. Midway through the third quarter, with the Scorpions clinging to a four-point lead, Falcon set up a screen pass near midfield. Dalton described the play:

“It looked like it was going to hit. We had a little bit of pressure close to the quarterback, but Santi recognized it pretty quick and got over near where the screen was going to happen. The quarterback panicked a little bit and the ball kind of went up in the air. It wasn’t really close to anybody, but Santiago was alert and kind of came out of nowhere. He dove for that ball and came up with it.”

The interception helped seal the victory and earned Gonzales recognition as this week’s Presbyterian Medical Services Athlete of the Week. While the award often goes to offensive stars, Dalton said it’s rewarding to see a defensive leader get the spotlight.

“I think it’s good. I don’t think it happens enough in all realms of football. Those guys are super important. Sometimes the workhorses on a football team don’t always get the credit, but that’s kind of why they are who they are. Even if you ask Santiago, the win was bigger than anything he did.”

Gonzales’ leadership extends well beyond Friday nights.

“He’s a good vocal leader, but he’s also a good leader by example. When he’s in the mix, it’s full effort all the time. That really rubs off on the other guys. Even when it’s not his turn or he’s not in, he’s giving coaching tips to the younger players. He’s like having another coach on the field and that’s invaluable.”

Off the field, Gonzales is just as impressive.

“He’s a great kid. He stays out of trouble and he gets really good grades. He’s close to a 4.0 student. He was all-academic for us last year and he represents our wrestling team at a really high level as well.”

As the Scorpions turn toward district play, Dalton hopes Gonzales’ recognition will inspire the next wave of Scorpion defenders.

“You just hope the young guys learning from him latch on… We want those younger guys to see guys like him and the effort they put in on a daily basis. We want them to mimic that and we want them to play just like that.”

For his leadership, toughness, and game-changing performance, Santiago Gonzales is this week’s Athlete of the Week.

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