By Rick Assad
After two wildly successful seasons as Burbank High’s quarterback, Deshawn Laporte has decided to leave the program and will play the position for Quartz Hill in Lancaster.
It can be argued that Laporte, who threw for 3,900 yards and completed 223 of 331 and 54 touchdowns with six interceptions this past season, is one of the top two or three best quarterbacks in school history and is likely the most athletic.
What set Laporte, who has committed to play for Delaware State, apart is his innate ability to evade oncoming rushers and still make plays.
Laporte, who holds the season and career record in passing yards and touchdowns thrown, could move around and still unload his patented sidearm tosses with accuracy or if they weren’t open take off and run with the football as he also accounted for 414 yards rushing on 85 carries with one touchdown.
Hector Valencia has been the head coach twice and has been Laporte’s coach.
“I wish him the best of luck at his new school,” he said. “He’s athletic and he’s hard to sack. He could extend plays.”
Laporte had outstanding players in Elijah Pendleton, Chase Miles, Exodus Freeman and Tyler Hudson as receivers.
“He did a good job of getting the ball to the playmakers,” Valencia said. “He could run but he was a pass first quarterback.”
The Bulldogs defeated San Dimas in the opening game of the season but were tagged with a forfeit after using an illegal player.
The other regular-season setbacks came against Muir 58-28 and in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division VI playoffs to Roosevelt [Eastvale] 14-13.
This past season, the Bulldogs went 9-3 and had a 6-1 record in the Pacific League for second place behind the Mustangs.
In his sophomore campaign, the Bulldogs also finished 9-3 and also went 6-1 in league, as Laporte passed for 2,368 yards on 160 for 248 and 28 scoring passes with five picks.
That season Laporte ran for 525 yards on 51 carries and found the end zone on 11 occasions.
