Truxton’s ‘Quest’ continues at Golden West

Quest Truxton takes his first name seriously. The former Newport Harbor High star has made football greatness his crusade and, to this point, he has achieved excellence every step along the way.

But quiz him on his progress and the Golden West College sophomore receiver will point toward the future, toward a higher level of competition against which he may reference the pages of his personal playbook that have yet been unveiled.

“I still have plenty of tricks left,” said the 6-foot, 180-pounder who has helped lead the Rustlers (8-0, 4-0 in the Southern Division) to the No. 1 state ranking heading into Saturday’s 6 p.m. clash at No. 16-ranked Orange Coast. “I watch and study football at the highest level, and I have not been able to use plenty of tricks, because, in my mind, I’m still at a lower level of competition. I’m saving some for these last couple games.”

Though he may have a few untapped twists and turns on the field, Truxton continues to leave nothing to chance when it comes to preparation. And his work ethic and passion for the game have helped him continuously hunt for a Division I scholarship.

The 2013 Newport-Mesa Dream Team Player of the Year, Truxton did not even consider a smattering of recruiting interest he received from lower-level colleges as a high school senior. Instead, he chose the community college route as a stop-over to his ultimate destination.

While transforming his physique with 30 pounds of muscle and paring his time in the 40-yard dash to 4.5 seconds and increasing his vertical leap to 39 inches, Truxton has continued to produce impressively against increasingly more talented foes. He had 50 receptions for 841 yards and eight touchdowns last season, when he earned All-Southern Division recognition.

This season, he has 40 catches for 534 yards and seven touchdowns, and also returned a punt 74 yards for the game-winning score late in a nonconference win over Citrus that he considers his favorite play as a Rustler.

“We were still defining ourselves as a team and that was a moment for me to show my teammates that ‘I’ve got you guys. This one’s on me and let me bring this W home.’ I had tied the game one minute before [with a touchdown reception] and they kicked it to me. I picked up some great blocks and tried to make it happen for us.”

Truxton has amassed 567 yards on kickoff returns at Golden West, and 240 more on punt returns. He has 2,247 all-purpose yards in a career that includes two more regular-season games and potentially three playoff contests.

He is now receiving interest from Division I programs and on Wednesday received his first Division II scholarship offer from Lindenwood University in Missouri.

But he doesn’t plan to show his stuff in the show me state.

“My heart is set on D-I,” said Truxton, who had eight catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns in last season’s 55-7 trouncing of OCC, which is 5-3, 3-1 this season and eyeing its first bowl appearance since 2007. “That was the main goal in coming [to Golden West]. I kind of got overlooked in high school, because I was very undersized. When I came here, I wanted to get as big and fast and as strong as I could. I’ve never really passed the eye test as a guy who is going to change the game, but I’ll pass the field test any day. It has worked out perfectly and I’m definitely satisfied with my choice to come here. I’ve gotten everything I wanted out of it.”

Well not quite everything, as the completion of a perfect season and a state and potential national championship remain in the picture. Add that to a sizable set of goals Truxton pursues with a vigilance bordering on obsession.

“Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley called me a football junkie and I can see that,” said Truxton, who has diverted his attention on his sport well enough to obtain a 3.5 grade-point average at the Huntington Beach school. “Football is always the No. 1 thing on my mind. I watch as many NFL and college games as I can and I’m always recording and rewinding. When we got [an online game video service] in high school, it was like a drug to me. I would watch film all week and study everything I could. And my favorite thing is coming home right after the game and watching the film, showing my family everything I just did, because they all want to see it again.”

Truxton said his quest to maximize his potential blissfully continues.

“I knew I had the talent and mental ability to keep going,” he said. “And I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. I’m always searching for every possible way to really complete my game. It’s to the point where I want more out of myself. What I’ve always been looking for is a level that demands that I break out everything I’ve learned. I’ll never stop playing football until I can’t do it anymore. My dream job would be returning punts in the NFL. I haven’t picked a major yet, because right now, all I want to do in my life is to win a state championship with this team.”