Student-Athlete of the Week – Elijah Guerrero, Twentynine Palms
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Twentynine Palms senior Elijah Guerrero is making an impact on the football field while also standing out in the classroom.
Guerrero is a running back and safety for the Twentynine Palms Wildcats and has been playing football since he was 7 years old.
For Guerrero, playing for the Wildcats is about more than just football.
“I like that this team is different from others, that we don't have the numbers that the other schools down the hill have,” Guerrero said. “So we have something to prove to ourselves.”
With smaller numbers than many schools in the Coachella Valley, Twentynine Palms relies on players like Guerrero to play both sides of the ball.
“He can dissect things both offensively and defensively,” Twentynine Palms coach Eric Tili said. “He can predict things that are going to happen. And he's a quick reactor.”
Tili also describes Guerrero as one of the team's leaders and one of the smartest players he has coached.
“Elijah is a very gifted athlete, but he's also very cerebral, probably one of the smartest and intelligent human beings I've been around on the football field,” Tili said.
Guerrero's interests extend beyond football. He also plays golf, basketball and volleyball while challenging himself academically with AP and dual-enrollment classes.
“I take AP classes, I take a lot of dual enrollment classes just trying to do my best here in school and make my parents proud,” Guerrero said.
As a senior, Guerrero says football has taught him lessons that extend far beyond the field.
“The thing that I love about this game is that it builds your character, and it really gives you discipline on and off the field in real life,” Guerrero said.
And while his senior season is just getting started, Guerrero already has a plan for what comes next.
He plans to join the Air Force after graduating from high school, pursue a stable career and see where life takes him.
“I plan to, after high school, go to the Air Force, find a stable career there, and see where life takes me,” Guerrero said.
If you know a local senior who should be our next student-athlete of the week, please reach out to share@kesq.com to submit a nomination.
The student-athlete of the week segment airs every Tuesday throughout the schoolyear on KESQ News Channel 3.
