Feature: Offensive linemen set tone

BY BRYAN RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Xs and Os can only take a team so far in football. At the end of the day, it comes down to mano a mano. Which team will be able to outlast, outsmart and most importantly, out-tough their opponents?

Those battles are routinely won and lost in the trenches. An offensive front matched up against a defensive box. When the ball is snapped, they collide to create a beautiful, yet chaotic portrait at the point of attack.

Schools like Edcouch-Elsa, McAllen Memorial, PSJA Southwest and Weslaco East have mastered the art of strong line play in run-heavy schemes over the years.

The Yellow Jackets, one of the most tradition-rich programs in the Rio Grande Valley football landscape, missed the playoffs in 2017 and 2018. The team struggled to score points, which led to their first twoyear absence from the postseason since 2001 and 2002.

Enter athletic director and now fourth-year head coach Christian Navarro, who was chosen to lead the team midway through the 2018 campaign. After a 2-8 finish that year, Navarro and EdcouchElsa reintroduced to the Slot-T offense. They put emphasis on the weight room and the importance of winning battles on the offensive line.

The result has been a drastic uptick in offensive production and back-to-back playoff appearances.

“It’s the belief in the system. The kids buy in and everything will take care of itself,” he said. “The kids believe in it, they know they have to work hard in the offseason in building up their strength and getting bigger, faster and stronger.”

Starr County’s two Class 5A programs, Rio Grande City and Roma, both run the Slot-T offense. When they kick off the 2021 season with “The Starr County Super Bowl” on Aug. 27 at Joe R. Sanchez Stadium in Rio Grande City, the annual rivalry game between the Gladiators and Rattlers, it will be a power struggle for bragging rights which will likely be decided at the line of scrimmage.

Roma senior right tackle Jesus Garcia, a three-year starter, said the repeated rush attempts and consistent yardage eventually makes defenses drop their guard in the secondary.

“It’s good for us big boys, feeding us the ball. It’s old school football,” Garcia said. “You have to be the hammer instead of the nail. You have to take it to them. Run the ball until they get tired, they expect the run, then we throw over them.”

Weslaco East’s offense has personified the term “smashmouth” over the years. It’s part of what’s led to the Wildcats’ streak of 14 consecutive playoff appearances.

“We’re known for it. We run it straight in your face, right down your mouth,” said Wildcats’ left tackle David Treviño.

Weslaco East senior center Julian Gonzalez said their in-your-face style of play takes its toll on defenders, draining their will with each snap. How does he know? The opposition wears it on their face.

“Coming out of the huddle, they know you’re going to be running and you see on their face that they don’t want to go against us again and again,” he said.

The run-heavy concepts are also described as “weatherproof offenses”, which proved true last season with playoff spots on the line.

Dec. 5, 2020 was filled with rain and temperatures dipping into the high 40s. The day also featured two District 16-5A DII play-in games — PSJA Southwest at Sharyland High in the early afternoon and Mission Veterans at EdcouchElsa at night.

Southwest’s veer offense appeared unstoppable as the cold temperature set in during the Javelinas-Rattlers matchup. Southwest won 21-7 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time in program history under then fourth-year head coach Mike Evans.

Later that night as the rain poured on, Edcouch-Elsa grew stronger against Mission Veterans. The Yellow Jackets ended the game with 28 unanswered points, all rushing touchdowns, all in the second half. The 42-28 win secured the Yellow Jackets’ spot in the playoffs for the second year in a row.

PSJA Southwest senior offensive lineman Oscar De La Cruz stands 6 feet 3 inches. His size, strength and aggressiveness up front is what allows the Javelinas’ veer offense to find openings.

“You have to be explosive, fast and make sure you hit first,” he said. “We’re a chain, and if one link breaks, it’s going to mess up the whole chain, so we have to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

The offense is also a method to control the clock, tire the defense and limit the opponents’ offense from seeing the field.

The last two RGV teams to advance to the regional finals, Mission Veterans in 2018 and Sharyland Pioneer in 2020-21, saw their seasons end at the hands of San Antonio Wagner’s Flexbone scheme and Liberty Hill’s Slot-T offense.

There’s an old adage that states “the best defense is a good offense.” Those runheavy, yet high percentage offenses were able to keep former Patriots quarterback Landry Gilpin and former Diamondbacks quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger on the sidelines, which was the only way to stop either of those electrifying RGV quarterbacks.

Weslaco East was the last run-centric team to put together a playoff run with a regional quarterfinal appearance in 2018. With the kick off of the 2021 season days away, expect fireworks on the offensive line.

“It’s all about the O-line and our ability to block up front. It’s about getting tough yards, tiring the defense and us being fresh out there, so when it comes back around, we’re going to be ready to strike,” Gonzalez said.

Joel Martinez | jmartinez@themonitor.com The Edcouch-Elsa offensive line runs through plays during practice Aug. 3, 2021 at Edcouch-Elsa High School in Elsa.