OLTON — Let the program tell it, and Tulia quarterback Jacob Trevino stands 5-foot-7. His coach admitted that may be a tad generous.
Players still look up to him.
Trevino, in the midst of his second season as QB1, is a leader for his Hornets teammates. He's captained the ship through choppy waters as the team dropped its past two games during a roller-coaster season.
Trevino stood tall again Friday in a result that flipped District 2-2A Division I on its head.
The senior quarterback accounted for seven touchdowns as Tulia stunned Olton 54-36 in a district opener at Memorial Stadium. It marked the Mustangs' first loss and doused the program's hottest start since 1970.
"At the end of the day, players can play, man," Hornets coach Trevor Cordova said
of Trevino, "and that's a kid that plays. That's a kid that competes. That's a kid that's not going to shy away from the moment. When you've got a guy that has the confidence that he has in himself, you're always gonna have a chance. …
"He plays like he's 6-2, 6-3."
Olton (6-1, 0-1) had been so dominant, Pigskin Prep projections made the Mustangs significant favorites to win the league. That included a 26-point predicted margin of victory over Tulia — the largest of any district opponent.
Olton entered the night with Class 2A Division I's top scoring defense, allowing 5.2 points per game. None of that mattered against the small-but-mighty Trevino.
Trevino was 22-of-24 passing for 321 yards and five TDs. He also rushed 22 times for 137 yards and two scores, terrorizing the Mustangs like no other has done this season.
"I've seen that kid in 7-on-7 a lot over the last couple summers, and that kid's a good quarterback," Olton coach James Dougherty said. "He's a tough nut to crack. Very composed in the pocket, able to facilitate the ball where it needs to go, and he's willing to put it in his arms and run. I thought he did a great job of that. His dual-threat ability really was tough for us."
Cardova is in his first season as head coach after a year as an assistant. He knew Trevino would be their guy, and he said a second campaign in the system has benefited the QB. Those around him are getting more comfortable, too, allowing the offense to operate faster.
The Hornets fed off the energy for their leader Friday in the upset win. It was a one-score game throughout, until Trevino led a 99-yard drive he finished with a 1-yard TD sneak. That put Tulia up 39-28 with 6:15 to go.
"When Jacob's Jacob, everybody's feeling good," Cordova said. "Everybody feels confident, and we got a chance that we can go in and we can beat anybody."
Dougherty said Olton hadn't seen an offense with the weapons of Tulia. Trevino made sure to work in each of them. Three different Hornets caught TDs, led by Adrian Reyes' two. He finished with nine grabs for 120 yards. Trevino said he has a "brotherhood" with his skill guys, and their shared trust is key to the attack.
Trevino said the team entered the district opener eager to prove "we're better than what we've been showing." Tulia (4-3, 1-0) did that and more. It was the biggest win of Trevino's career, but he isn't content to let that be the highlight of his senior year. Now the Hornets have reason to believe a district championship is within reach.
"We're not done yet," Trevino said. "We've got a lot of games to go. It's just the start of something big right here."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Tulia's 5-foot-7 QB stands tall in season-changing upset of Olton
