After a productive junior season, Derby senior Michael Castillo has spent the offseason focused on preparing for what he hopes will be a memorable final year of high school football.
Castillo said his offseason has centered on improving both physically and mentally through consistent work in the weight room and on the practice field.
“I have been training in the gym, showing up for workouts and doing individual workouts,” Castillo said. “I go 110% every day at practice to make sure the team is getting better every day.”
While Castillo’s physical preparation has been important, he said one of his biggest goals is improving his patience on the field.
“The area I’m wanting to improve on is my patience,” he said. “For example, when something isn’t going our way or the team’s way, I just need to relax and handle situations better.”
Castillo enters his senior season with lofty aspirations for both himself and the Panthers. Individually, he hopes to earn Gatorade Player of the Year honors, while his top team objective is bringing home a state championship.
“My goals this year are to win Gatorade Player of the Year and win state for my senior year,” Castillo said.
Castillo put together an impressive junior campaign, finishing with 32 receptions for 700 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He also scored two rushing touchdowns and added another touchdown through the air.
Looking beyond high school, Castillo plans to continue his football career at the collegiate level.
“My future plans are to play college football,” he said.
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