Vigor for new sport

For most of his 21 years, Raul Vijil made big plays with his feet. He was a two-time All-Big Nine Conference soccer player at Pasco, helping the Bulldogs win the State 4A championship as a sophomore and scoring 14 goals as a senior. He also played on the state Olympic Development Team.

Nowadays Vijil has to make plays with his hands before he can use his feet to help the Eastern Washington football team.

Heading into today’s game against Sam Houston State in the I-AA playoffs, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound junior has 29 catches for 509 yards and four touchdowns.

Last week he turned a short pass from Erik Meyer into a game-turning, 82-yard gain, the Eagles’ longest play of the season. He also had a critical 77-yard play earlier in the season, which is why his 17.6-yards-per-reception average is just behind the 17.7 of Eagles star receiver Eric Kimble.

That’s impressive for someone who didn’t play football until his senior year in high school.

Vijil sat down this week to answer questions from The Spokesman-Review about the change in his athletic career.

Spokesman-Review: Soccer or football?

Raul Vijil: Football, right now.

S-R: Why wait until your senior year to go out for football?

RV: I never had the want to play football. People were trying to get me to play. They said I’d be pretty good at it, so I decided to give it a try my senior year. (EWU kicker) Skyler Allen was the (Pasco) quarterback and he was one of my better friends, and he kind of talked me into it.

S-R: What’s the difference between soccer and football?

RV: In soccer they let you go out there and play. There are no set plays like in football. In football you have to get down to the basics, you have to study up on the other team, study the playbook. It’s more precision. Soccer is just constant play. There’s no stopping; just constant running.

S-R: Was there an adjustment from not using your hands?

RV: Soccer really helped even though you can’t use your hands. It helped with my footwork, my quickness and my vision. I played basketball for some years, so that kind of helped out my hands.

S-R: You turned short passes into 77- and 82-yard gains but didn’t get into the end zone. Why?

RV: I don’t want to answer that one. No, I’m just happy to make plays. Those were big plays for the team. When we go out there we’re just trying to make big plays, especially on third-and-long. One of my catches was on third-and-long. I broke a tackle and just took off and got caught.

S-R: Erik Meyer?

RV: Erik Meyer. He still impresses me out there. Every time he goes out there he has a better game. He’s a real good leader. If you happen to be down, he’s encouraging. He’s able to make plays and have confidence he can make plays, and we’re there as a supporting cast.

S-R: Erik Kimble?

RV: It’s fun to play with Eric Kimble and watch Eric Kimble. He’s another big leader. When he steps up his level of play, we all want to step up our level of play. He’s a big playmaker. We’re glad to have him on this team.

S-R: What about offensive line coach Aaron Best?

RV: You want me to comment on Aaron Best? He’s a good coach. He’s always encouraging the team. He’s one of the coaches that gets us riled up. He’s out there having a good time; having fun. He enjoys his job, I can tell.

S-R: Do you miss soccer?

RV: I miss soccer, I miss soccer a lot. That was my first love and I still love it. Every chance I get, every time I see a ball, I get excited. I want to kick it around.

S-R: Any regrets?

RV: No regrets. I’m having a good time. Winning is fun. I really enjoy this team.