App State’s Joey Aguilar does it all in Week 1
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Staff Reports, Staff reports
- September 3, 2024
Aguilar, Restrepo, Concepcion lead Latinos in Week 1 of College Football
In an impressive weekend for Latinos in college football, App State quarterback Joey Aguilar was perhaps the most sensational on the gridiron in Week 1. NC State’s Kevin Concepcion and Miami’s Xavier Restrepo went off in their respective games too.
Iowa’s Sebastian Castro delivered another defensive highlight. Michigan State defensive back Nikai Martinez got his season started with an interception.
Joey Aguilar, however, did a little bit more than all the Latinos in college football during Labor Day weekend. The senior quarterback excelled through the air and on the ground against East Tennessee State.
Whether on offense or defense, several Latinos deserved consideration for Our Esquina’s Player of the Week. Restrepo and Concepcion were nothing short of brilliant. Joey Aguilar, though, is Our Esquina’s Player of the Week for Week 1.
Versatile Joey Aguilar
App State quarterback Joey Aguilar tore up East Tennessee State. Aguilar threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns. The senior from Antioch, Calif., also rushed for 19 yards and two touchdowns in the 38-10 victory.
“I was just super excited to get out there,” Aguilar told the media afterward. “I just think I was too excited. But I just had to get back to regular Joey, be super chill and more laidback and just play my game.”
The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder got the scoring going with an 83-yard touchdown pass to Christian Horn.
Considering the SEC competition and the rivalry, there’s a good case for saying Xavier Restrepo had the most impressive performance among Latinos in college football in Week 1. The Miami senior had seven catches for 102 yards and one touchdown in a 41-17 rout over Florida.
Miami flex
Another case can be made for Concepcion. The NC State sophomore had nine receptions for 121 receiving yards and three touchdown catches against Western Carolina on Friday.
Restrepo and the Miami Hurricanes epitomized Latino excellence against Florida. Led by Cuban American coach Mario Cristobal, Miami made a loud statement Saturday on the road.
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Mexican American Damien Martinez rushed for a team-high 65 yards on 10 carries. Martinez, the Oregon State transfer, also made a highlight with a bruising run that destroyed a Florida tackler.
Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo added four catches for 89 yards. In most weeks, Arroyo might have been Our Esquina’s Player of the Week.
Miami kicker Andres Borregales made two of three field goal attempts and five PATs. Sophomore linebacker Raul Aguirre Jr. added a tackle for the Hurricanes.
Flores at home with UCLA
UCLA sophomore Rico Flores Jr., a Notre Dame transfer, had three catches for a team-high 102 yards and one touchdown. Kain Medrano added five tackles in UCLA’s 16-13 victory over Hawaii.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia made a tremendous first impression with the Commodores. The graduate transfer from New Mexico State led a come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech in overtime.
Pavia had game-high 104 rushing yards and one touchdown on 26 carries. He also connected 12 of 16 pass attempts for 190 yards and two touchdown passes. Cal sophomore quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for 158 yards on 15 for 22 passing in a 31-13 victory over UC Davis.
Iowa’s Sebastian Castro had three solo tackles in a 40-0 victory over Illinois State. The Chicago native forced a fumble that was recovered by the Hawkeyes. Penn State sophomore linebacker Tony Rojas had five tackles, including 1 ½ tackles for loss, in a 34-12 victory over West Virginia.
Nikai Martinez had six tackles in Michigan State’s 16-10 victory over Florida Atlantic. He also had a 41-yard interception return. Thomas Castellanos led Boston College to a dominant 28-13 upset over No. 10 Florida State. Colorado kicker Alejandro Mata made a 27-yard field goal and four extra points in a 31-26 victory over North Dakota State.
Fernando Carmona Jr. was a boss for Arkansas. He dominant, earning the Southeastern Conference’s co-Offensive Lineman of the Week award.
On the coaching side, Duke’s Manny Diaz and New Mexico State’s Tony Sanchez won their debuts at their new schools. Diaz led Duke to a 26-3 victory over Elon. Diaz guided the Aggies to a 23-16 victory over Southeast Missouri. Dave Aranda led Baylor to a 45-3 victory over Tarleton State.
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