In El Paso, Texas, football is King.
Entering his senior season at Ysleta High School, quarterback Justin Maese was drawing interest from college football programs. After throwing for 22 touchdowns and leading the Indians to a 7-4 record, however, scouts of a different cloth began flocking to Texas for a look at his right arm.
With his focus quickly shifted to the mound, Maese shot up draft boards in the spring of 2015 amid reports that he was hitting 96 miles per hour with his fastball. The Toronto Blue Jays selected the 6’3″, 190-pound pitcher in the third round, 91st overall, and the early returns have been extremely encouraging.