CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Veterans Memorial won their week one high school football matchup 34-13 over Miller in a Corpus Christi ISD rivalry. Some of the keys to the Eagles offensive success was running the ball with Andrew Charlebois. The junior running back is our KRIS 6 Game Changer of the Week.
“It was everything we worked on. The run game clicked," Charlebois said. "You know and we didn’t really go away from it because it was working so well. You know everyone was doing their job. We were all playing physical. You know achieving excellence every single play.
The 5’10” junior running back did not disappoint week one. He rushed for 281 yards on 31 carries, scoring 2 touchdowns. Plus, he caught 3 passes for 54 yards.
“I think he’s a patient running back," said Veterans Memorial senior offensive tackle Dylan Durbin. "I think he waits for a hole to open and I think he has really good ball carrier vision to where he can hit a hole and break it through. We’ve ran multiple plays where it’s meant for short yardage, meant for like 1-2 yards, and he breaks it away for 30 or 40 and gets a touchdown.”
Charlebois’ vision and endurance comes from his first passion, soccer. A sport the goalkeeper kicked off at 3-years-old.
“There’s a lot of good things that can translate from soccer to football," Charlebois said. "You know the conditioning and just overall vision. Soccer you have to use your eyes looking everywhere. As a ball carrier and as a running back that really helps on the line finding holes.”
His football journey started later than some, playing in his first game in seventh grade. It was at soccer practice when a coach asked if Charlebois wanted to play quarterback. Since then he’s converted to running back.
“I just fell in love with the sport. You know, I devoted a lot of my time to perfecting the craft," Charlebois said. "Playing this game as much as I could. I didn’t play any PeeWee. I didn’t really get into flag football.”
Time and dedication that goes beyond the field.
“I still spend a lot of time in the weight room, but I also spent a lot of time doing a lot of hip mobility," Charlebois said. "You know stretching. I got into yoga, which has really helped my game. I’m not feeling tight. I’m not feeling any injuries that are really bothering me at all.”
He also excels in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA and is a member of National Honor Society. Charlebois aspires to be a lawyer, but looks to win his first case on the field.
Veterans Memorial and Carroll face off on Thursday at 7 PM at Buccaneer Stadium for a non-district game.
Thank you Thomas J. Henry for supporting Coastal Bend athletes and the Friday Night Fever.
