Quarterback Marc Evans is warming up for the big time

There’s no quarterback in Southern California who has made greater progress from his first varsity start on Sept. 10 against Long Beach Poly until now, week No. 13, than junior Marc Evans of Ventura St. Bonaventure.

If you want to see what a future Pacific 10 Conference quarterback looks like, the 6-foot-3 Evans, 17, is that player.

He enters Friday’s Northern Division semifinal against host Westlake Village Westlake having passed for 2,342 yards and 27 touchdowns with four interceptions. He has thrived in big games, starting with the season opener against the Jackrabbits, when he remembers tossing and turning the night before in anticipation of his first varsity start.

“I couldn’t really sleep,” he said.

Then he went out and completed 14 of his first 17 passes for 169 yards, and St. Bonaventure went on to beat Poly, 32-7. It was his poise under pressure that left an indelible impression.

“He’s doing a great job,” Coach Todd Therrien said. “I’m never going to give him too many compliments because I want perfection.”

Evans is a teenager willing to listen and learn, and the evidence can be seen in how he handles scrutiny from a variety of elders.

At St. Bonaventure, his father, Mike, coaches receivers. His brother, Matt, a former St. Bonaventure quarterback, coaches quarterbacks. And then there’s Therrien, who has been known to raise his voice on occasion.

“They mainly say all the same things,” Evans said, “so I listen to all of them.”

But there’s one person whom Evans pays attention to above all others — his mother, Denise.

“If he ever brings home a bad grade, his mom yells at him,” Therrien said.

Like all good quarterbacks, Evans’ ability to have a short memory and move on after a mistake has been invaluable. He doesn’t like it when he’s intercepted, but, he says, “I get really mad, then I let go.”

Added Therrien: “He gets ruffled occasionally, but he has a good support system to bring him back.”

What has distinguished Evans is his ability to perform well in St. Bonaventure’s toughest games.

In a 33-32 overtime loss to Oaks Christian, he threw two touchdown passes. In a 32-31 double-overtime win over Westlake, he passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns and completed the game-winning two-point conversion pass.

Each time, he has relied on words of wisdom from his father and brother.

“My brother and my dad told me to stay calm, do what you can do, and you can get it done,” he said. “You have to believe in yourself.”

Therrien believes Evans will be a productive college quarterback.

“Physically, he can make all the throws,” Therrien said. “And he’s athletic enough to run. I think he can be a big-time quarterback.”

Evans has been playing quarterback since he was 10, and Therrien remembers Evans as a young boy always showing up with a smile, which earned him the nickname “The Big Cheese.”

He doesn’t smile as much anymore, considering he has the demanding Therrien evaluating his every move.

But he’s comfortable in his position, having waited years to finally take over the St. Bonaventure offense. He has the Seraphs at 11-1, two wins away from a championship and can’t wait to experience the emotion of a Westlake rematch.

“I like playing in big games,” he said. “It’s just a great feeling knowing everyone is there, all the hype and knowing the team is depending on me.”

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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