Before 2017, Oscar Frias had never taken a snap with pads on in his life.

“I played quarterback in flag football,” Frias said. “My mom did not want me to play tackle football because she thought it was a little dangerous.”

At the start of his freshman year, that all changed when Scottsdale Prep coach David Primavera gave Frias the starting job.

Primavera saw a potentially lethal quarterback with the arm talent and toughness necessary.

“Oscar is tall, he’s a very good athlete (and) he has a very good arm,” Primavera said. “He does a very good job of allowing our guys to make plays with the ball.”

With only five starts as the Spartans signal caller, Frias’ freshman campaign was derailed by a broken foot in the second game of the season.

This season has been a different story.

Frias has averaged 12.2 yards per completion and connected on over half of his passing attempts in Scottsdale Prep’s 3-1 start.

Most importantly, the sophomore has only thrown three interceptions. Last season, Primavera remembered when Frias threw four or five picks in his first game.

“I didn’t think he actually played that bad of a game,” Primavera said.

Improvement in Frias’ mechanics and pre-snap reads has made the game easier and simpler for the Spartan signal caller.

“Even though we got beat last Friday night he actually played pretty well in the game by reading a very good defense and threw for 170 yards,” Primavera said. “Pre-snap reads have been the biggest difference between this year and last year.”

After winning the starting job his freshman campaign, Frias was not the guaranteed the Spartans job in year two.

Daxton Strader, a hockey player with a baseball arm, worked out for the position over the summer entering his first season playing football.

“It pushed me,” Frias said. “It made me become stronger over the summer, more effort you know.”

Frias has gained more confidence under center. The more reps he’s had in practice and games has translated to the sophomore’s success at the position.

Frias’ top weapons on the outside are Strader and Finley Hobbs.

“He’s developed pretty solid trust in his receivers,” Primavera said. “If (Frias) gives Finley a chance to make a play on the ball, Finley will.”

“I trust him and he trusts me to catch the ball,” Hobbs said. “It’s been good to have the same quarterback for two years now.”

Frias admits he has to improve his footwork to get to the level of play that he wants, but he is 15.

Even at such a young age, the former flag quarterback has come a long way as the Spartans new signal caller.