Published: June 27, 2009 02:16 pm      

Looking ahead

Kerens’ Pat Faulk has big decisions, goals in store as senior

Pat Faulk knows what it’s like to be in the pocket or in the open field, or for that matter on the basketball court, with everything for that moment right in front of you.

For the Kerens’ do-it-all athlete, he’s staring down a lot personally as he prepares for his senior year.

Faulk has been offered football scholarships by SMU and Nebraska. He has SMU, Houston and Sam Houston State listed as his schools of choice.

He has big-time milestones in front of him on the football field. He needs around 2,400 total yards to eclipse 10,000 total yards for his high school career, a mind-blowing figure. He’ll end up scoring more than 100 touchdown passing, rushing and receiving, provided good health.

“Pat has an opportunity,” Kerens coach Russell Anderson said. “As long as he has a good solid year, he’ll be the most prolific yardage and touchdown guy in Kerens football history.”

Individual goals have not been in Faulk’s peripheral vision as he prepares for the last season of his high school career.

Instead, he is working on making changes that will help his team. He said he has improved his throwing and his accuracy in particular since the Bobcats’ season ended last year with a thud to Caddo Mills. He has worked on standing in the pocket.

“I’m going to stay in the pocket more,” Faulk said. “That will take the pressure off of us. It will keep everyone focusing on more than one player. Just stop Kerens and not Pat Faulk.”

Faulk said he and his teammates have focused on their summer workouts. Faulk is up from his playing weight of last season, 160, to 173 pounds. The 5-10 1/2 quarterback likes what he has seen in the weight room.

“We’ve worked really hard in the offseason,” Faulk said. “We’ve gotten big over the offseason.”

Faulk totaled 3,578 total yards last season, rushing for more than 2,000 yards and passing for more than 1,500, becoming the second back-to-back winner of the Golden Circle’s Del Thrash Player of the Year Award.

What can he do for an encore?

“Getting to the playoffs and going far this year,” he said, “And be a leader.”

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