GRAND HAVEN – Before you can have a good football team, it’s pretty important to have a good quarterback.

It now appears that won’t be an issue for the Grand Haven Buccaneers.

The Bucs are very young this season, with a lot of underclassmen playing key roles.

One is sophomore quarterback Xzavier Rodriguez, who was the freshman team’s QB a year ago and skipped past junior varsity to varsity.

He gave some hints that he might be pretty good in Week 1 against Reeths-Puffer, when he completed 11 of 17 passes for 156 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 72 yards and two TDs in a 32-20 loss.

Rodriguez said he did all that when he was “a little nervous, going and playing under the lights for the first time in front of a big crowd.”

Nobody expected a breakout game quite like he had on Thursday night. He was basically on fire, and the visitors from Traverse City West could not stop him.

Rodriguez completed 13 of 14 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 201 yards and another three touchdowns.

The young Buccaneers beat TC West 49-21, and suddenly the rest of the season started looking much brighter.

“We definitely stepped up our game,” said Rodriguez, 15, who is only 5-foot-6 and 150 pounds. “We were pretty upset (after the first game loss). The coaches talked to us about it and we changed our practice around a little bit, with a little more contact and hitting each other harder. That definitely helped.”

Rodriguez got off to a great start on Thursday in the first quarter, throwing an 18-yard trouchdown pass to Alex Dixon, rushing for a 22-yard score, then completing a 46-yard TD pass to Aiden Ray.

He put the capper on his night in the third quarter by throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Willam Korenstra and rushing for a 9-yard touchdown and a 47-yard touchdown.

“Before the game I felt pretty focused and ready,” Rodriguez said. “It was our first home game, some people doubted us, and we wanted to go out there and show them how we can play football.

“After the game I was pretty happy. Our offensive line helped me a bunch and our entire team played good. It was great.”

Grand Haven head coach Mike Farley said the varsity staff was aware of Rodriguez and his potential when he played freshman football last year. What they didn’t know was how well he would respond to the speed and pressure of being a varsity quarterback, and they love how he’s developing.

“We knew he had abilities coming in from the freshman team, but you really can’t see the intangibles into you see him in a game,” Farley said. “He’s got great composure for a 15-year-old. He doesn’t let anything rattle him. Whether he scores a touchdown on a long run or somebody knocks him down, he gets up and does the same thing. He’s very even-keeled.

“He has the athleticism, the ability to throw and run. We’re just really thankful that he had a great game for us the other night.”

When asked if it was the best game he’s ever had in his football career, Rodriguez said “by far.”

“I never thought I would be able to get six touchdowns in one game,” he said. “I scored a little bit in the past, but never six touchdowns.”

When asked if prefers to pass or throw for touchdowns, he said passing gets the nod.

“I like throwing touchdowns,” Rodriguez said. “I know our wide receivers can get behind the corners, and I know I can throw it up and they can catch the ball.”

The Buccaneers will host East Kentwood next Friday, a team that lost a close one to powerful Muskegon in Week 1, then beat always-strong Birmingham Brother Rice last week.

With a win under their belts, however, the more confident Buccaneers are ready for any challenge as they push themselves to improve, according to Rodriguez.

“I think we’re going to surprise everybody and do some good things,” he said.