Prep Football: QB Rosales plays bigger than his size, age for Immokalee

Knowing he’d never be the biggest quarterback, R.J. Rosales became focused on being the best.

Since he first put on shoulder pads as a 9 year old, Rosales has spent as much time working off the field as on it. He studies film of opponents, reviews video of himself, practices his footwork, improves his conditioning – anything he can to get better.

“He’s obsessed with perfection,” Immokalee High School football coach Rodelin Anthony said. “He’s pretty much a nerd of the game. He studies it and works hard at it.”

The undefeated Indians are reaping the results of Rosales’ determination this postseason. With a quarterback riding one of the biggest hot streaks in program history, Immokalee (11-0) hosts St. Petersburg-Lakewood in a Class 5A regional championship game Friday.

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In the first two rounds of the FHSAA playoffs, Rosales has thrown eight touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns. For the season he has 30 passing touchdowns, a single-season school record, against three interceptions.

Still just a sophomore, Rosales is in his second year on varsity. However he’s been the Indians’ full-time quarterback for only the second half of this season, splitting time at the position before then.

Every Friday, Rosales, 15, is one of the youngest players on the field. He’s also one of the shortest. Rosales said he’ll try to pass himself off as 5-foot-10, but he’s really “5-8 on a good day.”

Knowing the limitations facing a vertically-challenged quarterback – struggling to see over the hulking linemen, finding receivers or shaking off sacks – Rosales got to work on his mind and his mechanics.

“If I can’t beat you height-wise, if I can’t see (over the line), I’m going to know what (a defense) is doing at all times,” Rosales said. “I’m going to watch film, look at your alignment, your technique. I’m going to know everything you do. I take that very seriously.”

Rosales has had a mentor since the day he was born in former Immokalee state champion quarterback Phillip Perez. Perez is married to Rosales’s sister, Ashley, and the two have been together since middle school.

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“I used to change his diapers,” Perez said of Rosales.

In 2004, Perez was the junior quarterback when Immokalee won the Class 2A state championship, the only title in school history. Rosales was 2 years old then and used to come to games with his mother.

Perez said Rosales was an active kid, and the past Indians passer steered the future Indians passer to football when he was 9. In Rosales’ first youth football game, Perez knew his brother-in-law would be special.

“He had what I call a ‘Michael Vick run,’” Perez said. “There was pressure inside, he scrambled right, then scrambled all the way back to the left and took off and scored. He’s built upon that ever since.”

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Rosales’ youth football feats are well-known in Immokalee. The quarterback led his seventh- and eighth-grade Pop Warner teams to undefeated seasons and state championships.

In his third season as the quarterbacks coach at Immokalee, Perez works with Rosales on his passing, but they train together on more than football. Rosales said Perez taught him the importance of working hard.

Perez talks with Rosales about making good decisions off the field, too. Perez and Ashley Rosales had the first of their three children before their senior year of high school, something Perez doesn’t regret. However, he admits it forced him to grow up quickly.

“He doesn’t like to take credit, but (Perez) instilled work ethic in me,” Rosales said. “He helped me understand the finer points of hard work. I don’t think he notices, but he put that in me.”

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Perez thinks he might have done too good a job extolling the virtues of effort. He often has to force Rosales to take a day off.

After Immokalee’s hard-fought, 51-32 victory over Dunbar in the regional semifinals Friday, Rosales wanted to get in a workout on Saturday. Perez had to find an excuse to take the quarterback out of town, just to let his body rest.

Rosales said the continued improvement of his offensive line has led to his success late in the year. Taking over full-time quarterback duties the past five games also helped with consistency.

Immokalee also has one of the area’s best rushing attacks. Running backs Fred Green, Malcom Jackson and Abraham Alce have combined for 1,861 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground and call themselves the three-headed dragon.

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Anthony said Rosales is smart enough to read a defense and see if they’re coming up to the line of scrimmage to stop the rush, then change the play call or make an adjustment to take advantage.

“Are you going to stay in the box to try to stop Fred Green-Malcom Jackson-Abraham Alce, or are you going to go out wide to try to stop (receivers) Jordan Hall-Shedro Louis?” Anthony said. “Pick your poison.

“And who’s going to make you decide? R.J. – R.J. is going to feed you your poison.”

Friday's games

Class 6A regional final

(4) Fort Myers at (2) Naples, 7:30 p.m.

Class 5A regional final

(2) St. Petersburg-Lakewood at (1) Immokalee, 7:30 p.m.