OCVarsity is putting the spotlight on the players taking part in the O.C. All-Star Football Game on July 8 at Orange Coast College.
For this edition, we have selected … Brea Olinda’s Brandon Legendre.
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PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: BRANDON LEGENDRE
His teammates at Brea Olinda called him B-Legend, but defensive end Brandon Legendre has a more modest opinion of himself.
In his eyes, the Wildcats’ entire defensive unit last fall was made up of stars; he just did his part.
As the Wildcats created 32 turnovers and made it to the CIF-SS Southern Division final, Legendre led the team in tackles for a loss (14) and tied for the team lead in quarterback hurries (seven).
Legendre received Brea Olinda’s Greg Hutcherson Award, a scholarship presented annually to a college-bound senior who “bleeds green and gold.” Legendre was also named first-team All-North Hills League.
Legendre will continue his playing career at Santa Ana College next season.
For the O.C. All-Star Game, he will be joined on the North roster by two of his former Brea Olinda teammates, linebacker Zach Arnold (131 tackles last season) and defensive back Malik Campbell (eight interceptions in 2015).
THE Q&A
Q: It had to be a fun year for you guys at Brea. First CIF finals appearance in a long time. What was that experience like, and what was it like to to host Canyon in the championship game?
A: It was an unreal experience to see the whole stadium packed. We had people on the dirt hill standing and watching. We had to bring in extra bleachers. To have that many people watching, it’s like we brought the whole city together with it being such a small town.
Q: Is it surprising or ironic to find three defensive players from Brea on this North All-Star team?
A: I don’t think it’s ironic. We had a really good defense. (Jordan) Antunez, the guy from Garden Grove, he didn’t have a game under 200 (rushing) yards since Week 3, and we held him to 30 yards (in the playoffs).
I think our defense sometimes gets under-credited with the power of (running back) Mike Martinson and Nick Drury’s arm. Our defense was a solid unit with a lot of rotations and a lot of guys in new positions.
Q: Everyone just kind of took care of themselves. Zach Arnold could chase the ball all day, but he served more of a coverage role for you guys this year.
A: Yeah. Zach and everyone just kind of put aside their own high praise. We played as a team, and I think that’s why we made it that far. Everyone was all-in. They had both feet in the boat.
Q: Where do you see your future with the game?
A: I’m going to Santa Ana next year. I’m excited to play. Hopefully, I can get out of there in a year, and I’m a qualifier to transfer to a four-year university … Get the option to play, get a good education, and get a degree.
Q: How do you think that this all-star experience can help with your goal of exposure and eventually transferring?
A: It’s good to be in a showcase one last time. I know that colleges come out and watch this. I feel like the juco level will allow me – I’m 220 (pounds) – to put on a little more weight and fill into the defensive end role that schools want.
Q: Did you play on the line this year or did you play some linebacker as well?
A: I only played on the defensive line this year because we ran a 4-3 defense, so I played defensive end, offensive tackle, and tight end.
Q: Canyon was someone that you had already seen in league, so how did that add to the championship game environment?
A: It was big because they came out and they skunked us the first time around. I think it was 20-0 or 21-0. We put up a goose egg. It was a big thing. We needed to come back and learn.
It helped us. I think that’s why it was such a close game. We had them 3-0 at the end of the first half. We gave up a big kick return, and each team started figuring the other one out. They just had the upper edge.
