After refereeing Mendota basketball games several times last winter, new Mendota football coach Jim Eustice knew senior Aden Tillman was a competitor.

But in terms of quarterback skill, Tillman was underdeveloped when the Trojans first took the field for summer workouts in June.

“He was pretty raw from a quarterback standpoint when we got out here, but we’ve done a lot of work with him and he’s drastically improved his mechanics,” Eustice said. “Mentally, he’s a real smart kid, so he’s picking everything up. I think he’s going to do real well. The kids really look at him as a leader.”

For Tillman, this summer was the most position-specific coaching he’s received.

“I’ve never really had any quarterback coaching, but he really taught me some mechanics and I feel like he’s helping me as

See Full Page