Tenorio flashes potential in loss to San Antonio Marshall

Junior quarterback Karlo Tenorio was nervous when he first entered the game. But as the game went on, he settled in and showed he can be a gamechanger.

Karlo Tenorio was nervous, which was expected. He wasn’t expecting to get thrown into the Alexander Bulldogs’ season opener so early.

Alexander opened their 2024 season with a 23-13 road loss to San Antonio Marshall last Friday. Not only that, but they lost their starting quarterback Jeremy Gabrillo – a three-year contributor – potentially for the entire year due to a knee injury, too.

Losing a starting signal caller, especially with the amount of experience Gabrillo possesses, can be detrimental to a team. But luckily for the Bulldogs, Tenorio flashed the potential to be a quality quarterback this season and beyond.

“I have always thought Karlo could do a good job and this game was a testament to that,” Alexander head coach Edwin Garcia said. “He went in there with minimal reps and he did the best that he could. He did a great job at times. It was his varsity game. So he showed some youthfulness. But I think he has the ceiling to be great.”

Tenorio finished his first varsity game completing 17 of his 27 passes for 274 yards, a touchdown and an interception – a solid stat line for a quarterback who wasn’t expecting to play so much.

The junior gunslinger was certainly jittery at first. The slightest pressure would cause him to go haywire at times. But as the game progressed, he calmed down and started to play with confidence.

What was impressive about Tenorio’s performance was his ability to extend plays. When chased out of the pocket, he didn’t immediately take off and run. Instead, he would scramble and keep his eyes downfield, searching for an open receiver. There were several instances in which his ability to extend plays benefited the Bulldogs. It’s a big reason why receivers Julius Vaughn and Rickey Carson both finished with 100-plus yards receiving. Vaughn caught six passes for 100 yards and a score while Carson finished with five receptions for 105 yards.

“Getting thrown into the game unexpectedly definitely had me nervous,” Tenorio said. “The first couple drives, I had to get my jitters out but as the game went on, I felt more comfortable.”

Garcia added, “The best way to learn is learning under fire. He got thrown in there and he responded. He led some good drives. I think he did the best he could. He showed confidence.”

Now, while Tenorio was solid, he certainly feels like he could have performed better for the Navy & Gold.

“I think my performance could have been better,” Tenorio said. “I did not play my best.”

Alexander certainly did not play at its best. It held itself back for most of the game.

The Bulldogs didn’t punt once in Friday’s loss. Typically when a team never punts it means one of two things: either it’s dominating and putting up points at will or it’s hurting itself. And unfortunately for Alexander, it hurt itself multiple times against Marshall.

The Bulldogs turned over the ball three times in the first half – an interception and two fumbles. And all three turnovers occurred inside the red zone. Tenorio threw an interception at Marshall’s 15-yard line. Running back Joe Fernandez fumbled at the one-yard line as he tried to extend the ball across the goal line for a touchdown. And Carson fumbled the ball after a massive receiving gain. Then in the second half, Alexander’s offense stalled twice, failing to convert on fourth down during crucial situations.

“I think I need to do a better job at getting our kids ready,” Garcia said. “I think it’s a lesson for all of us, but especially for me as a coach. I knew Marshall would be a lot tougher than what their record showed last year. They got a lot better. I need to get the team better. This one is on me. We are going to grow from this.”

While the Bulldogs aim to grow from last Friday’s loss, one thing is for certain: Tenorio already grew from it.

Tenorio was expected to be the primary backup signal caller this season. But now, he’s the man. He’s the starting quarterback.

Tenorio was nervous at first last Friday against Marshall. But as the game went on, he started to play with more confidence and flashed his potential. And while he couldn’t lead Alexander to a victory in the season opener, he’s ready to get the Bulldogs their first win this coming week against Gregory-Portland.

“We have time to improve as a team and that’s what we will be doing from here on,” Tenorio said. “We needed the loss to humble us. We will bounce back from here, all the way towards the end of the season.”