While the season may not be over, it’s never too early to start looking into the future of Bowie football. As many seniors will look to make these last two games on the schedule the best ones of their high school careers, there are some juniors who have shined under the friday night lights, and will look to fill in the shoes of the departing seniors.

Starting quarterback Justin Diaz is one of the juniors who will return next season, and he does not feel any pressure about taking a leadership role next season.

“I don’t really feel any pressure. Being the quarterback takes a lot of leadership, so I feel good about it. The team we might have next year is the team we won district with our freshman year so having some guys I’ve played with before should help us all play and hopefully be a competitive team,” Diaz said.

Other juniors stood out in last week’s game against Burges High School, as wide receivers Carlos Varela and Julian Hernandez put on amazing performances while racking up a combined total of 253 yards on 7 receptions as well as three touchdowns. Diaz threw for 189 yards on six completions and three touchdowns.

Varela was also optimistic about next season, although he senses there could be some obstacles along the way.

“I feel like there could be some early season struggles mainly because of how new the team is going to be, but honestly if we just work hard enough we can be capable of doing anything we set our minds to. I feel like next year I’m still going to be considered one of the leaders because it’s already going to be my third year on the varsity and I’m going to have most of the experience that I can use to help the team,” Varela said.

Juniors Andrew Gallardo and William Carrasco are also among some players who will return for their senior season, as well as already earn some playing time this season. Gallardo finished the last game with 7 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown, while Carrasco rushed for 19 yards and completed a 55 yard pass as well.

“I feel good about it because having experience helps a lot and for the other players it is going to be harder and tougher, so I’m gonna try and teach the younger guys some things so we can be better next year”, Gallardo said.

The juniors accounted for four of the five touchdowns scored against Burges, as well as a majority of the total yards.

“It feels good to be a leader, knowing that next year I’m going to be more aware of what’s going on. I’m going to step up and show the players how it is playing with the big guys at the varsity level”, Carrasco said.

Although it is still way too early to tell how next season and the future of Bowie Football will look, there are definitely some players who will return and look to make their senior season’s the best one they can.