Hilmar will have hands full with Bradshaw Christian pass rush

Phillip White fills a door frame.

The Bradshaw Christian High School defensive dynamo stood head and shoulders above the crowd of purple letterman jackets at the Sac-Joaquin Section’s annual gathering of small-school section finalists, leaving no doubt who the big man on campus is.

White has terrorized high school quarterbacks with a college-ready skill set, forcing Hilmar coach Frank Marques to issue a warning to his players: If they’re not decisive and quick, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound sack master will fill more than a door frame Saturday night at Lincoln High in Stockton.

He’ll crowd the backfield, filling quarterback Daniel Teixeira with anxiety.

“That guy is a D-I prospect. Our tackles will have their hands full,” Marques said. “We have to get rid of the ball quickly. We can’t wait three or four seconds for something to happen. Our quarterback has to get the ball out to help those guys.”

“Those guys” are tackles Jarrod Willis and Gabriel Aguilar, the same twosome tasked with containing Ripon Christian’s Will Kamps in a 34-28 victory in last week’s Division VI semifinal.

Marques says that experience, coupled with the weekly wars in the Trans-Valley League, will serve the Yellowjackets well as they gun for their seventh section championship. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

“Our league has some good athletes, and that kid we saw from Ripon Christian was good. He was a handful and caused some problems for us,” Marques said of Kamps, who has 44.5 sacks in three seasons. “Going up against Kamps was good experience because (White) is that same type of player. We’ve seen guys with the same agility and speed he has, so he won’t be completely foreign to us.”

Hilmar has slayed giants in a section final, taking down Central Catholic 17-6 in an epic 2008 final. Hilmar has made 11 section final appearances, fourth-most in section history.

“It’s not a novelty for us to be here,” Marques said. “We’re taking it as just another game played in a different location.”

White has the ability to change the status quo, though. He’s tied for fourth in the state with 20 sacks, three behind leaders Mark Hooker of Stone Ridge Christian and Nehemiah Thompson of Sylmar.

Marques doesn’t expect Willis (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) and Aguilar (5-11, 200), both of whom give up considerable height and weight to White, to win every snap. With a sly grin, the longtime coach and athletic director said they just have to win most of them.

“Guys like that (White), you can’t neutralize them,” Marques said, “but if we win 53 percent of the battles, I’ll take that. … Shoot, I’ll take 51 percent.”

Teixeira can help his cause by being quick on the trigger.

The senior has continued a long line of explosive quarterbacks to play for Marques, a fraternity that counts former Oregon quarterback and All-District Bee Player of the Year Nathan Costa as one of its members.

Teixeira backed up Jonathan O’Brien last fall. He also played slot receiver.

“He’s taken every rep seriously,” Marques said. “That is his DNA and character. He’s appreciates every down.”

Teixeira understands the unwavering terms of the postseason, especially for a senior.

“These last two weeks against Ripon Christian and Mariposa, you never know if this could be your last game or not,” he said. “We’ve played well, and I can’t wait for this week’s game.”

Teixeira has made the most of every chance, accounting for nearly 3,000 total yards. He’s thrown for 2,214 yards and 32 touchdowns, completing 57 percent of his passes. He also has 707 rushing yards, third on the team.

Last week, he scored the winning touchdown on an 11-yard scramble with 75 seconds left, shaking off two early turnovers.

Hilmar has won three games by seven points or fewer.

Teixeira’s calm demeanor permeates the huddle and sideline, filling the young Yellowjackets with confidence.

“He struggled early but played well when it counted the most,” Marques said. “The thing about Daniel, he understands the scope of the game. He’s a levelheaded kid who doesn’t get overexcited or too down on himself. It’s been a great asset for him and this team. His presence to the team is outstanding.”

White will do his best to rattle the steely-eyed quarterback.

“(Teixeira) understands the clock in his head,” Marques said. “He doesn’t get sacked very often and does a great job of getting the ball away quickly. We work on that quick-passing game a lot, so I don’t think there’s anything special that he has to do.”

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Hilmar will have hands full with Bradshaw Christian pass rush."