Oakdale quarterback Olsen flies under the radar on a team that doesn’t pass often

Adam Olsen knows how to play the piano, and soon, the Oakdale High School quarterback will join his father as an Eagle Scout.

“I just need to pick my project,” he said. “I’ve got some options.”

Olsen is also a devout Mormon, so at some point in the not-so-distant future, the senior will serve his faith on a mission. Though his plate is full and his future bright, football, he promises, is still his signature dish.

Olsen returns for his third year under center and fourth overall at the varsity level. He’s accomplished a lot in that time, contributing heavily to two Valley Oak League championships, two Sac-Joaquin Section titles and a run to the 2012 CIF Division II State Bowl.

But on the eve of his senior season, Olsen’s star flies under the radar, overshadowed by a system that routinely churns out 1,000-yard running backs and an area flush with quarterbacks who have sexier stats.

“I’m not going to lie, sure, I’d love to throw the ball 30 times a game,” said Olsen, who has generated interest from Southern Utah. “But I think that’s just part of what we do at Oakdale, too. We run the ball and we do what works best for the team.

“There have been times where we’ve had to throw the ball, so I need to be prepared for that.”

The Mustangs produced three 1,000-yard running backs last season en route to the Division III section championship and a berth in a Northern California regional bowl against Clayton Valley.

Fullback Frankie Trent softened defenses with essentially one play: the trap. He scored six times in a rout of Manteca during the Friday Night Lights showcase at Levi’s Stadium. Tailback Brock Whiting and wingback Darus Nelson provided the change of pace, blending by-you speed with through-you power. Whiting operated in the same creases as Trent, while Nelson found huge chunks of yards on the edges.

Still, with all that firepower, Oakdale coach Trent Merzon leaned on Olsen to bring the Mustangs back from a 20-0 deficit against Inderkum in the section final.

“When we needed to pass, he was crucial,” said Nelson, the only one of the Big Three to return to the backfield this season. “Down 20, we needed everybody.”

Olsen threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Depuy to make it 20-13 late in the third quarter. He also set up the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter with a 53-yard strike to Whiting that moved the ball into the red zone.

“I just have to be ready. Until then, I’ll do what’s best for the team,” Olsen said. “The whole program understands that, too. All the kids are willing to give up those big-numbered games, the ones where you might have had 250 rushing yards but let everyone else have the ball.

“That’s what we do to win. Selfless, grit, loyalty, faith – we got it all.”

Merzon insists the Mustangs have one of the area’s top quarterbacks, too, regardless of statistics.

Olsen was raised under three-year starter Spencer Thomas. Injury forced Olsen to miss time in 2013, but he has entered the last three fall camps penciled in as the Mustangs’ starter. He’s a dual-threat quarterback cut perfectly for the Wing-T offense: capable of throwing when called upon with giddy-up when it’s time to run.

Ain’t that right, Vista del Lago? The Eagles were burned by Olsen for a 50-plus-yard run during the playoffs.

“He’s so vital to our success. He makes problems for the defense,” Nelson said. “Being able to run and throw makes him hard to cover. A lot of people don’t realize that when we struggle or get in third-and-long situations, he’s the one that pulls us out with a big run or a big pass.”

That poise under fire has come with time in the system and time with Merzon, a former quarterback, and offensive coordinator Tim Meyer, a renowned position coach.

There’s been a natural progression to Olsen’s development. He shed his stubbornness and became a sponge, soaking up every detail.

“When you’re young, you’re not very coachable or you’re harder to be coached,” he said. “We’ve run the same offense for 15 years now, so I feel comfortable. As you go through the program, I don’t want to say it gets easier, but you understand it better. I’m as prepared now as I’ve ever been.”

He’ll need to be, because Oakdale’s chance to defend its section title isn’t promised. Oakdale’s first four opponents qualified for the postseason. Fortunately, though, those first four games will be played at The Corral, the Mustangs’ steel-trap stadium. Oakdale is 63-6 at home since 2004.

The Mustangs will open Aug. 28 against traditional rival Sonora, the reigning Mother Lode League champion and Division IV finalist. Turlock comes to town the following week. Oakdale will round out its nonleague schedule with Menlo-Atherton, a Central Coast Section playoff team last season.

The VOL campaign begins with a meeting of its co-champions: Sierra at Oakdale. The Timberwolves handed the Mustangs their only regular-season loss last season, 31-20.

“Last year, when we lost to Sierra, we had just played Manteca the week before,” Olsen said. “It’s tough to keep that high momentum and that high intensity throughout the season, but that’s one of the great challenges of playing in the VOL. It’s an absolute pleasure to play in it.”

The finish promises to be just as entertaining. Oakdale, gunning for its 33rd league title, will play Manteca (at home) and Central Catholic (away) in back-to-back weeks to close VOL play. Those two games could decide the league championship and seeding in the Division III playoffs.

“Our big goal is that we want to be playing our best ball in Week 10,” Olsen said, “so that we go right into playoffs playing our best football.”

This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Oakdale quarterback Olsen flies under the radar on a team that doesn’t pass often."