Student-Athlete of the Week – Alonso Hernandez

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – Our latest student-athlete of the week is Alonso Hernandez from Desert Mirage High School football.

“When you see him play, it's hard to deny that he is putting in the work in both sports and in school,” Desert Mirage football head coach Jesus Felipe said.

Hernandez is a senior wingback, safety and backup quarterback for the Desert Mirage football team. He's a dual-sport athlete, also shining in track and field. Hernandez started playing football three years ago, and he said he's found a home on the gridiron.

"It's a little weird, but I do like the contact and being able to go out there and just have fun hitting people," Hernandez said. "But, I also really enjoy the team bonding. We call ourselves the 'Ramily.' It's, genuinely like my family away from home.”

Rams head coach Jesus Felipe said the best word to describe Hernandez is persistent. While it may apply to the competitive aspect he loves in football, Felipe said he's also a student-athlete who consistently goes above and beyond.

“He went on vacation and right before we got our pads and stuff, he texted me, 'Hey, coach, can you send me the entire playbook?' And when he came back, he knew everyone's job. He knew his job,” Felipe said.

But it's not just gameplay. Hernandez puts in extra time in the classroom.

“He's always doing assignments whenever gets," Felipe said. "Whenever we get downtime, he's working on homework. He's doing extracurricular stuff.”

“Typically my GPA is above 4.0, around 4.2," Hernandez said. "I really enjoy understanding subjects. When someone is struggling, I really enjoy helping them...helping them understand the lesson in the subject is what really gets me excited about classes.”

After graduation, Hernandez hopes to attend UC Irvine or UC San Diego to study biomedical engineering. While his leadership has left a lasting impression on the Rams, Hernandez said they've also taught him lifelong lessons.

“I think the biggest thing I'm going to take away is really what you put out, and to the people around you is where you're going to get back,” Hernandez 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.