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In search of his first win of the season on a September evening, Wagner took on Stevens in his basic flexbone formation and passed the ball to his toughest backcourt runner, Quentin Owens.
Junior receiver Jeremiah Chery was blocking downfield when he noticed something strange over his shoulder.
“(Owens) struck someone with a small nudge step and he laughed at them as he passed them,” Chery said. “He missed the guy, walked past me and just kept laughing.”
The eccentric full-back delivered an electrifying performance, racking up 156 yards and two touchdowns before taking a seat in the second half when the Thunderbirds drove to a 69-0 win. There was no shortage of pieces to highlight in Owens’ career at Wagner, but this happy foray into the end zone was, in Chery’s eyes, the epitome of Owens.
“It’s not normal, but that’s just him,” he said. “That’s exactly what he does.”
If Owens had their way, this game would never have happened – at least not in San Antonio. He was content to stay in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, where he led his high school to a state championship three years ago as a freshman.
North orientation
Owen’s parents saw their son’s athletic potential and made a decision that changed the path of his life and that of all of his eight siblings – they moved to Texas.
“I’d rather have stayed in Alaska and graduated from high school with all the kids I grew up with,” Owens said. “But in retrospect it was probably the best decision for me and my future.”
Most of Owens’ siblings agreed to the transition. His two older brothers were already planning to go to vocational school in the lower 48 and his younger twin sisters had no objections. But Mina, one of Quentin’s four sisters, showed little interest in moving when she was in sixth grade.
“She was the one who put up the most resistance,” Owens said. “She didn’t want to leave all of the friends she has had since kindergarten. And she was just about to start gymnastics, start competitions and everything. It had just found its place and then, boom – uprooted. “
Owens said he felt guilty, especially for taking Mina out of her gymnastics club. But like Owens, she had a radiant personality that was used to make friends no matter the circumstances or surroundings.
“She’s a social butterfly so I always knew she would be fine,” he said. “But I felt kind of bad about her gymnastics. She tried to play sports and we just couldn’t find a sport that stayed with her. And then there was gymnastics and it was just amazing and she loved it. It kind of broke her down. “
To the south
In Laredo – about as far from Alaska as geographic location allows – Owens lined up as a full-back within the Alexander 10-yard line a week after his explosive run against Stevens.
He made a throw to the right side of the field and picked up a block near the sideline. Two Bulldogs secondary school members tossed every ounce of their body weight at the 5-foot-9, 200-pound Owens as it neared the goal line.
The first defender found himself face down in the grass, the other flat on his back. The only player left was Owens, his feet firmly in the end zone.
“He’s running strong,” said Chery. “He’s not breaking contact. It’s just really explosive through the breaks. “
Wagner would just have missed such runs.
Owen’s family considered sending him to Judson and previously attended Vandegrift High School in West Austin. Quentin’s father Ron had a long chat with Vandergrift’s head coach and the last question he asked was about the cost of homes in the area – which the coach responded to with an estimate on the order of $ 1.2 million.
“My dad just looked at the trainer and said, ‘How do you think I can afford this? Did I say something that made you think I could afford a $ 1.2 million house? ‘ So we thought: ‘Yes … it doesn’t matter.’ “
After settling in San Antonio and Wagner, the next challenge the family faced was adapting to a different culture and landscape.
In Anchorage, Owens spent his free time riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers, playing soccer in the snow, and hiding in the woods. He noted that the southern Texas sun prevented many children in San Antonio from participating in similar activities.
“Everything was different here from Alaska,” said Owens. “All the kids just want to stay inside and play video games. In Alaska, you’re lucky to find a friend with a video game console. “
He also noted differences in cuisine between the two cities and praised the diversity in San Antonio’s dining scene, while missing Anchorage’s selection of fresh fruit and meat.
“There are a lot of Spanish dishes down here,” he said. “There were probably only two or three places in Alaska, and one of them was a chain restaurant. We eat a lot of seafood and animals that we hunt. And everything is preserved here. The berries were picked like two or three weeks ago instead of yesterday. “
Wagner players and coaches playfully made fun of Owens for his unique ancestry story – something he expected given the stark contrast in lifestyles and environments between Texans and Alaskans.
“Of course when I come from Alaska there will be a lot of jokes about Alaska and penguins and such silly things,” said Wagner trainer Jason Starin. “He kind of left it. He would compare you joke for joke. He’s pretty funny. If you contradict yourself or say something hypocritical, he will get you. So you know that he listens and is insightful. “
Owens immediately became one of the region’s top playmakers in his sophomore year. After beating the JV team to a 10-0 record, Owens commanded a healthy share of high schools during his junior year despite sitting behind a first-team all-state team running back on the depths table.
“LJ Butler was probably one of the best running backs in San Antonio football history,” said Starin. “Consciously making sure Quentin was on the rotation tells you how good he is.”
The next level
Now Owens is the top ball carrier in his senior year, having rushed 85 times for 542 yards and five touchdowns in seven games, averaging nearly 6.5 yards per carry. Last Wednesday, he announced his commitment to play for Bethel College in North Newton, Can., Where he will seek to earn the Threshers their second conference championship in as many years as he begins his pre-dentistry degree.
Owens became interested in the dental field a few years ago in Anchorage after talking to his longtime dentist.
“I just admired her and how much she worked and what she had,” said Owens. “She worked two or three days a week. She made a lot of money. She had other businesses she was invested in and her money worked for her when she was about 36. I just wanted that to be my lifestyle. “
The work itself, he added, is meaningful beyond the benefits and perks of having your own practice.
“I know I like my smile,” said Owens. “And why not help other people improve their smiles?”
It’s a recurring theme in the unfinished story of a hilarious 18-year-old from America’s northernmost metropolis. Everything he’s done from defense lawyers to exchanging jokes with coaches and teammates to looking up from a dentist chair with visions of his future, he’s done it all with a smile on his face.
“He’s a great teammate,” said Starin. “The kids are drawn to him whether he likes it or not, he’s a leader.”
On the way to the final leg of Quentin’s senior season, the Owens family can breathe a long sigh of relief. The risk was worth it. Saying goodbye to the familiar into the unknown, losing the chance to win four state titles at the same high school to be seen, exchanging freshly picked berries and wild-caught fish for authentic enchiladas and homemade tortillas – sacrifices and compromises, big and big small, culminating in an opportunity about 94 percent of high school football players never see.
An entire family working together to raise their own is an ideal that resonates in the city of San Antonio. Every member of the Owens family contributed in some way to making Quentin’s dream a reality. When he makes his next trip to another new state, he will receive the same level of support and dedication from loved ones in Texas as he had when they originally decided to leave Alaska for him.
“He has instructions at home and that’s huge, isn’t it?” Said Starin. “He has really good parents. He’s a bright kid. That speaks really well about her and the type of family he comes from. I must give credit to his parents for helping him set these goals and holding him accountable for achieving them. “
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