Photos by Ryan Tomey (@the.mrphotos on Instagram)

College Football:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Between 2020-2022, Monrovia’s Carlos Hernandez put together one of the most impressive runs among San Gabriel Valley area receivers in recent memory.

In fact, during his junior season in 2021, Hernandez and his quarterback, Noah Rodriguez, seemed to star in a highlight reel every Friday night.

Hernandez had 71 receptions for 1,594 yards & 23 TD’s.

To put that in its proper perspective, consider the following:

In 2017, St. Francis’ Greg Dulcich, who now plays tight end for the Denver Broncos, led the Golden Knights to a CIF-SS Division 3 title-game appearance with 50 catches for 1,168 yards and 12 TD’s.

Dulcich’s remarkable senior season included 14 games.

In comparison, Hernandez needed just 11 games to reach such gaudy numbers.

If one knew where to look, there were signs early on that Hernandez would do great things.

And it all started in 2020, which was his first year of making real contributions at the varsity level.

It was a four-game COVID-19 shortened season, where, as a sophomore, Hernandez caught 26 passes for 450 yards & six TD’s.

He totaled 637 all-purpose yards, had seven tackles and picked off two passes for the Monrovia defense.

It was his three-year portfolio that included 141 receptions for 2,891 receiving yards, 3,603 all-purpose yards, 38 TD’s, 44 tackles and nine interceptions that earned Hernandez a scholarship at Washington State University.

One of the coolest things any reporter can experience is watching someone you’ve covered earn the opportunity to live out their dream.

And on Saturday, I had the privilege of watching Hernandez compete at the NCAA Division 1 level just 11 miles from where he played his prep career.

Hernandez exited the visiting locker room on the east end of the Rose Bowl Stadium, and he made his way onto the field as his family and friends gushed with pride.

It certainly wasn’t their day, and the 99-degree weather and 12 o’clock kickoff didn’t seem favorable to the fans or players on either side.

But give credit where it’s due, the UCLA defense was able to hold WSU to just 216 yards of total offense, and they claimed a 25-17 victory in Saturday’s Pac-12 showdown.

Hernandez was on the field often and had a pair of catches for 14 yards.

Washinton State is now 4-1 and they entered its showdown with the Bruins as the 13th ranked program in the nation, which was the program’s best in five years.

So far, Hernandez has totaled 20 receptions for 162 yards.

His best day in catches was seven in a 38-35 victory over 14th ranked Oregon State.

And Carlos’ 58 receiving yards in the season-opening 50-24 triumph of Colorado State is his high-water mark thus far.

He has yet to reel in his first collegiate touchdown, but that’s going to happen sooner rather than later.

Often times, it takes a freshman a considerable amount of time to make his mark, but Hernandez has already earned the respect of his teammates and head coach, Jake Dickert.

A few weeks back, Coach Dickert told Cougfan.com: “It shows the benefit of coming early to college. He did that, so he had a basis of knowledge. He’s one of those guys I mark on my sheet of guys I want to check in with on game day, see how they’re doing. This kid hasn’t flinched one time. Nothing is too big for him. To go out there and perform the way he’s capable of … his role is going to grow. We know we have something really special, but it goes back to his mentality. Since the day he has been here, he comes out and works his tail off and he’s been a great teammate. When guys like that get results of the work, it’s just another great example for us as coaches.”

Just below the link to a pair of photo galleries are the thoughts of two of Carlos’ former teammates and their head coach at Monrovia High School.

Keep representing the SGV, your school, that program and your family well, Carlos.

We’re all proud of you.

To view Ryan Tomey’s photos of Carlos Hernandez, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook

To view Ryan Tomey’s photos of the Washington State-UCLA game, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook

Quotable:

Former Monrovia head coach/current Harvard-Westlake offensive coordinator, Chris Williams: “It’s been really exciting to get to tune in every week, and just see the young man I met halfway through his freshman year continue to grow week after week. I told him in college to approach his craft like a job, and Carlos has some of the best work ethic I’ve seen in a young man at his age. I knew once he got to Wazzu, he would make an impact, and to do it as a true freshman is amazing. It’s not easy to transition into college midyear, and now be a key contributor on a top-25 national team. I couldn’t be more proud. of him.  Carlos took the small things we did with him at Monrovia and has continued to build off it. He has the potential to be an all-American in a couple of years, and it will be amazing to watch, because I honestly believe that is the track he is on.”

Former Monrovia quarterback, Noah Rodriguez: “Whether it’s at home or at the game with friends and family, watching Carlos play Division 1 football is great. Seeing Carlos play at the Division 1 level is great. In high school, we always knew we were the best duo in the area. Going into my senior year, I told him, let’s make it memorable and certainly we did. We led the entire area in TD’s and yards. Carlos is a great all-around receiver, and each week, we both believed we needed to show out and put up a performance and at one point, we won 10 consecutive games.”

Current Monrovia quarterback, Brian Salazar: “It’s just surreal being able to see him out there doing what he loves. Knowing that just last year I was on the same team as him and throwing him the ball. His worth ethic is what makes him who he is. Hardest worker I know and it’s the reason for his success. His time is coming and he’s playing as a true freshman. That’s an accomplishment on its own.”

Monrovia Football & Carlos Hernandez:

2022: (8-3, 5-0):
44 receptions for 847 yards & 9 TD’s, 1,289 all-purpose yards, 29 tackles & four interceptions

2021; (10-1, 5-0):
71 receptions for 1,594 yards & 23 TD’s, 1,677 all-purpose, eight tackles and three interceptions

2020: (2-2):
26 receptions for 450 yards & six TD’s, 637 all-purpose yards, seven tackles and two interceptions

Team Totals, 2020-2022: (20-6 overall, 10-0 in Rio Hondo League)

Career stats: 141 receptions for 2,891 receiving yards, 3,603 all-purpose yards, 38 TD’s, 44 tackles & 9 interceptions.

Washington State Schedule-Results: (4-1 overall, 1-1 in Pac-12 games)
9/2: WSU 50, Colorado State 24
9/9: WSU 31, Wisconsin 22
9/16: WSU 64, Northern Colorado 21
9/23: WSU 38, Oregon State 35
10/7: UCLA 25, WSU 17
10/14: Arizona at WSU
10/21: WSU at Oregon
10/28: WSU at Arizona State
11/4: Stanford at WSU
11/11: WSU at Cal
11/17: Colorado at WSU
11/25: WSU at Washington

Carlos Hernandez in 2023 at WSU:
vs Colorado State (five catches for 58 yards)
vs Wisconsin (two catches for 14 yards)
vs Northern Colorado (four catches for 36 yards)
vs Oregon State (seven catches for 39 yards)
vs UCLA (two catches for 15 yards)
Totals: 20 receptions for 162 yards.