Modest is something that E.J. Lopez, the junior quarterback from St. Andrews Episcopal High School in Austin, isn't: not about football or his grades
"Football is something I want to make a career in, but I'm also very brilliant in studies," the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Lopez says in his QB Hit List profile, which lists his impressive 4.43 GPA at the private K-12 school on Southwest Parkway in Austin.
QB Hit List scores him at 90.04 — the top player in his class earned a score of 94.10— but there's plenty of time for the junior St. Andrews' Class of 2023 to bring that up.
E.J. Lopez in a selfie last spring
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Last week, Your Basin named Lopez its "Athlete of the Week," for his "monster night" on Sept. 17 when the St. Andrews Mustangs pummeled Seminole 63-17. Lopez threw for 381 yards and seven touchdowns against the Indians during that game, according to Your Basin's coverage.
Lopez went into this season with St. Andrew's Head Coach Ralph Mason calling the team "something special."
"The leadership qualities are really standing out, and that's going back to last summer and the spring," Mason said in a Midland Reporter-Telegram/MRT story published Aug. 5. "But it's really showing up now. We have something new this year and that is letting one of our players talk to our guys every day. That's the kind of leadership we have this year."
Lopez, who last year was one of about eight sophomores on varsity and passed for 4,174 yards with 46 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, is part of a standout lineup this year, Mason told MRT.
"It’s just a really strong group," Mason said. "It may be my best back-to-back groups together that I’ve had at Andrews. They're really striving to play for each other."
Lopez told MRT that he was more than ready for his junior year.
"I feel great going into this season," the pro-style quarterback said. "I've got one year under my belt. My first year I was nervous. This year I'm a lot more comfortable. I know what I need to do to help my team."