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The biggest difference for Arndt this season is instead of trying to win a job, he’s attempting to win a state championship.
Arndt became Cuero’s starting quarterback last season as a sophomore and led the Gobblers to the Class 3A, Division II semifinals.
Arndt enters his junior season bigger, stronger and more confident about Cuero’s prospects.
“Being my age and being young, just being able to grow and prosper has done a lot for me,” Arndt said. “Expectations were high when I came in and, once I had some games under my belt, it came to me.”
Arndt’s transition from the freshman team to the varsity was a seamless one.
He made steady progress throughout last season, completing 150 of 226 passes for 2,507 yards and 23 touchdowns with only three interceptions.
“It was just being able to learn the plays more,” Arndt said. “I didn’t know much about the plays on the varsity, but it came to me after those games. This year, I know the plays better.”
Cuero coach Mark Reeve has noticed a change in Arndt’s demeanor as he’s become more comfortable in his role.
“I think he feels a little more confident,” Reeve said. “It’s not one of those situations where he’s going to have fight to be the guy. We did a lot of stuff in the spring. He’s got a great grasp on our offense. We feel good about how he is.”
Arndt’s performance last season made him one of the most highly sought after quarterbacks in the state. But neither Reeve nor Arndt are worried about it becoming a distraction.
“I don’t think that’s in his mind at all,” Reeve said. “He wants to do well. He wants to see the team do well. We’ve had some guys here who want to know who’s recruiting them, but he’s not one of those guys. He’s pretty assured he’s going to go someplace and he’s not too worried about it.”
“The focus is on practice and what’s going on there and keeping the intensity,” Arndt agreed. “That’s what practice is for getting better and just knowing your plays and timing and all that. There’s a lot on the team and a lot on me. There’s a lot more on me coming into this year after what people saw me do last year.”
Arndt’s goal is to continue getting better, which he worked hard to do this summer. He participated in Cuero’s conditioning drills and attended camps at Texas and Texas A&M.
“I tried to work on my speed some,” said Arndt, who comes into this season at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds. “I tried to get stronger in the weight room and pretty much worked on getting quicker, being able to move around more.”
Arndt’s desire to do better this season stems in a large part from last season’s semifinal loss to China Spring, in which he threw all three of his interceptions.
“I was prepared, but things just didn’t go my way and it wasn’t my night,” Arndt said. “It was a growing experience, something to learn from.”
Reeve isn’t concerned about any carryover from the semifinal game and believes Arndt is even better prepared this season to direct the Cuero offense.
“I don’t have any different expectations of him than I did last year,” Reeve said. “Our quarterback’s job is to get the ball to the guys who can stick it up the field and to be smart. We want him to get us in the right play and don’t turn the football over. Those are the things that are his strong points.”