DOUBLE TROUBLE: Monrovia High School’s George Frazier V, who’s ability on offense and defense oft has opponents seeing double. Staff photo by Keith Birmingham

By Keith Lair, SGVN
Twitter.com/KeithLLair

MONROVIA – Monrovia High School football opponents must think they are seeing double when they see No. 5 on the field.
It’s likely that either the Wildcats have a lot of duplicate numbers or that George Frazier V is seemingly everywhere, driving opponents batty.
There are obviously no duplicates. There’s definitely only one No. 5 and there is no question it is Frazier.
This year he has been playing outside linebacker. If a team’s best player lines up at wide receiver, the senior often shadows him. Defensive line? Frazier can do that, too.
Offensively? Frazier is currently playing tight end, so he blocks and catches the ball. Quarterback? He started several games at the position last year.
“I love playing football,” Frazier said. “Where ever you need me, that’s where I’m going to play.”
So is there anything that the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder cannot do?
“He’s versatile, absolutely he can do anything,” Monrovia coach Ryan Maddox said. “He can play defensive line, inside linebacker, outside linebacker, he can run the ball, he can play quarterback. We can can move him around to play any position.”
How about kicker?
“I don’t know if we have really tried,” Maddox said.

Frazier, one of the most humble players on the Wildcats, insists he has “fooled around” kicking the ball.
On a team ranked third in the CIF-Southern Section Mid-Valley Division, Frazier is one of those valuable players Maddox has come to rely on. Monrovia, 2-1, plays South Hills at Covina District Field on Thursday night.
He has verbally committed to play at Colorado next season.
“On defense, he’s kind of the anchor,” Maddox said. “A lot of times teams are starting to run away from him. He’s an imposing player. Offensively, he’s a great blocker and pass-catcher.”
Frazier has been a member of the Wildcats’ varsity team since the playoffs of his freshman season.
He quickly took in a leadership role his sophomore season when he started at inside linebacker.
“When I played my sophomore year, I did not think of myself as a leader,” he said. “I was looking up to the seniors on the team. But as the year went on they kept telling me that they looked up to me. It opened my eyes.”
Now, his teammates can call him captain.
“It has not changed that much,” he said of his leadership role. “As long as I’ve been playing football, I’ve always been a captain of my team. I’ve never been in the back. I’ve always put my word out there.”
The Wildcats have won two CIF-SS Mid-Valley championships and have a 25-6 record since he has been in the starting lineup.
“He’s extremely humble, a great kid, a hard worker and an excellent leader,” Maddox said. “It’s a special combination.”
Frazier played some quarterback his freshman year and started at the position last year. He completed 26 of 64 passes for 513 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. In those two years, he rushed for 138 yards and five TDs.
This year, he has one rush for two yards and caught three passes for 42 yards.
Frazier has always been a defensive stalwart; he expects to continue to play linebacker at Colorado.
He averaged 5.5 tackles per game his sophomore year and 7.0 tackles last year.
This year, he has only nine tackles and one fumble recovery, but opponents have also decided to run to the opposite side of the field.
“He is blocking much better and starting to play outside linebacker much better,” Maddox said. “Since we moved him from the inside last year, you can tell he understands the position and his technique is much better. Each week he improves there.”
Maddox said he is faster, has gained strength and has become a smarter player.
Monrovia has given up only 14 points in the second half, none in the fourth quarter.
“It’s mainly everyone doing their part,” Frazier said. “There is no secret. If everyone does what they are supposed to do, you can shut people down.”
As two-time divisional champions, there was no question that the Wildcats are intent on getting into the state playoffs, although the season-opening loss to Ayala will hurt that bid.
“I wish we had won that first game. but you cannot go back to that,” he said. “We learned to not look too far ahead. We need to go one game at time.”
His father, George IV, played at Duarte and coaches the Wildcats’ JV team and the varsity team’s safeties. His grandfather, George III, was a track and field athlete at Duarte.
But George Frazier V feels no family peer pressure.
“I’m always myself no matter what,” he said.