Football: Fajardo is ‘under the radar’ no more
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When the reality show ‘The Ride’ premieres on FS West next month, Cody Fajardo will be presented as an ‘under-the-radar’ quarterback who needs a cadre of brand-name instructors to make him a viable major-college prospect.
The premise may seem laughable by then. Fajardo looked every bit like Division I college material during Servite’s season-opening 30-7 victory over Long Beach Poly on Thursday night. The senior quarterback completed 16 of 22 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for another score.
‘There were some big plays he made in that game, a bunch of them,’ Servite Coach Troy Thomas said. ‘And he’s got to do that for us, he’s got to be that guy who’s going to make a bunch of them.’
Operating out of a no-huddle offense, Fajardo showed a deft touch with passes of varying length and didn’t seem to force anything. He said the triumph over the Jackrabbits, ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times, trumped his appearance on the reality show.
‘I think it was pretty equal,’ Fajardo said when asked to compare the experiences, ‘but I get to be with my brothers out here, so I think it was better beating them. ... With this win, we’ve got a lot of momentum.’
According to one source not authorized to publicly discuss the reality show, Fajardo doesn’t make it past the first of 10 episodes. But the quarterback said the instructors left a lasting impact on his game.
‘They were some of the best coaches in the country, so I learned a lot and I took a lot home,’ he said. ‘They really helped me out with my form.’
--Ben Bolch