LAKE FOREST – El Toro quarterback Trey Tinsley found himself back in his element Tuesday night: practicing under the lights on his home turf, running the Chargers’ up-tempo offense, slinging the football around the field as he made a habit of doing the past two seasons.
The senior was beaming with enthusiasm throughout the evening, laughing with teammates between plays, while offering guidance to anyone puzzled by El Toro’s warp-speed offensive scheme.
He was playing football again. Tinsley will be the county’s starting quarterback in the inaugural Orange County vs. Inland Empire All-Star Game on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Corona High.
“It’s unbelievable,” Tinsley said of practicing in January. “All the guys after the season was over, we kind of talked and were like, ‘Man, we miss football.’ Being able to get the call and have coach (Robert) Frith be the coach of the All-Star game is just awesome.”
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Orange County vs. Inland Empire All-Star Game
Saturday, Jan. 24, at Corona High, 7 p.m.
Tickets: sold at the game, adults, $10, students, $7
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Until a few weeks ago, Tinsley’s high school playing days had ended and turned into treasured memories. As for the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder’s future, that was uncertain, as calls from four-year colleges and talk about possible scholarship offers had hit a lull.
It was around that time Tinsley’s coach, Robert Frith, was approached to coach the Orange County squad in the newly created O.C. vs, I.E. All-Star Game. When Frith accepted, it was a no-brainer who he’d get to start at quarterback for the game.
“More than anything else, I think he wants to play one more game with his friends,” Frith said of Tinsley. “He’s got friends from El Toro and he knows guys from all these schools around here. So when I said, ‘Hey, we got an all-star game, I want you to be the quarterback,’ he jumped all over the opportunity.”
In addition to his quarterback, Frith’s O.C. roster features standout El Toro wide receivers Kaleb Fossum, Taylor Dodds and Brendan Lane. Behind that core of starters, the Chargers advanced to the second round of the CIF-SS West Valley Division playoffs.
Their 59-21 defeat of Sunset League champion Los Alamitos in the first round was one of the more surprising results of the postseason, and El Toro was able to accomplish such a feat with its high-octane passing attack. Tinsley threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns in what would be his last high school victory.
“You always just wish, ‘Man, I wish I had just one more game,’” he said. “I’m thankful I’m actually getting the opportunity to play one more game. I just want it to work out and hopefully play the best I can to show what I have.”
No quarterback in the county could match Tinsley’s yards (6,914) or touchdowns (65) in the past two seasons.
And with 2014 being the year of the quarterback in O.C., Tinsley led all passers in yards per game (321.3), while finishing second in total yards (3,855) and tied for fourth in touchdowns (33).
Even with those staggering numbers, the scholarship offers from four-year colleges have remained absent.
“It has been pretty quiet so far,” Tinsley said of the recruiting process. “I’m going to wait out and see if anything happens. I was talking to a couple schools, but they decided to go in a different direction. No big deal at all.”
Three of the local community colleges – Orange Coast, Saddleback and Santa Ana – have expressed interest in having him play for them next season. It seems likely at this point that the son of former USC quarterback Scott Tinsley will go that direction, and it’s one his coach thinks could pay major dividends in the future.
“It means he’s going to continue to be hungry,” Frith said. “He’s going to continue to grind and do everything he can to market himself to a college (as) being the guy they’re going to want. It’s not the worst thing in the world. It’ll be a little bit of adversity he has to deal with.”
For Tinsley, the question isn’t whether or not he’ll play football next season, it’s a matter of where he’ll play. It’s a decision he’ll mull over in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, the senior is enjoying the game he loves alongside a number of his closest buddies.
“I’m extremely thankful I get one more chance to play with Coach Frith as a high school player,” he added. “A bunch of people are stressed out about not getting offers. As long as I get to keep playing and further my education – if that puts me in the best situation – I’m going to go there.”
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
