Coaching changes

RGV

BROWNSVILLE VETERANS:

New Coach — Kelly Lee (Former Eastern New Mexico University HC) Former Coach — David Cantu (New Los Fresnos HC)

HARLINGEN SOUTH:

New Coach — Israel Gonzalez (Former Lyford HC) Former Coach — Brain Ricci (Reassigned)

High School Football

EDINBURG HIGH:

New Coach — Rene Guzman (Former Weslaco East DC) Former Coach — JJ Leija (Reassigned/ New Edinburg Vela Assistant)

EDINBURG ECONOMEDES:

New Coach — Sean Van De Merghel (Former Edinburg Vela OC) Former Coach — Gabe Pena (Reassigned/ Retired)

LOS FRESNOS:

New Coach — David Cantu (Former Brownsville Veterans HC) Former Coach — Patrick Brown (Reassigned)

LYFORD:

New Coach — Gerry Jauregui (Former Lyford ISD Administrator) Former Coach — Israel Gonzalez (New Harlingen South HC)

MCALLEN MEMORIAL:

New Coach — Moses Patterson (Former McAllen Memorial DC) Former Coach — Bill Littleton (Retired)

Coaching Changes

MISSION HIGH:

New Coach — Danny Longoria (Former Mission High Special Teams Coordinator) Former Coach — Koy Detmer (Relocated/New Somerset HC)

RIO GRANDE CITY:

New Coach — Jesus Lozano (Former Rio Grande City HC 2004-08) Former Coach — Leo Mireles (Relocated/New Laredo LBJ HC)

SHARYLAND HIGH:

New Coach — Craig Krell (Former Sharyland High DC) Former Coach — Ron Adame (Promoted to Sharyland ISD AD)

PSJA MEMORIAL:

New Coach — Will Littleton (Former PSJA North Co-DC) Former Coach — David Brown (Reassigned/New Cy Woods DC)

MONTE ALTO:

New Coach — Eugenio Garza Former Coach — Robert Meza (Resigned)

SANTA ROSA:

New Coach — Joe Marichalar Former Coach — Hector Ayala (Resigned)

SHARYLAND PIONEER:

New Coach — Eddie Galindo (Former Sharyland Pioneer OC) Former Coach — Tom Lee (Promoted to Sharyland ISD Assistant AD)

26 • Football Preview 2021

District 32-6A preview

season with Cuevas’ staff and a 2020 season that featured massive strides offensively. Senior quarterback Robert Gomez is back behind center after a sensational start to his junior season was cut short by a season-ending injury in the team’s third game. Nonetheless, Gomez nearly topped the 1,000-yard mark through the air and should soar past that this season with the help of versatile playmaker Deandray Quezada and returning starters Isaiah Loya and Ricky Martinez on the offensive line. The biggest question mark for the Chiefs this year will be upfront defensively, while defensive back Jose Magdaleno will provide some experience in Donna North’s pass defense.

Coach: Manny Gomez, 15th year 2020 record: 6-1, bi-district qualifier

Last playoff appearance: 2020

Returning starters (O/D): 5/4

Returning lettermen: 22

Key players: DE Nathan Huerta; RB Izaiah Bell; RB Kian Torres; LB J.C. Moradel; DL Christian Luna; DB Ian Solis; WR Paul Price 2021 Outlook: The defending District 32-6A co-champions will look to protect their title after a dominant 2020 season that ended in a onescore loss against San Antonio Stevens in the area round. Coach Gomez has nine returning starters led by defensive linemen Nathan Huerta, the 32-6A Defensive Player of the Year, and Christian Luna. The offense will look different with no guarantees at quarterback, but the Cardinals will rely on the running of returning backs Izaiah Bell and Kian Torres, who combined for 517 rushing yards a year ago. Expect Harlingen to be in this year’s district title race once the final weeks of the regular season roll around.

Coach: Israel Gonzalez, 1st year 2020 record: 2-4

Last playoff appearance: 2019

Returning starters (O/D): 8/6

Returning lettermen: 16

Key players: QB Xander Casarez; OL Caleb Davis; RB Marcos Gonzalez; LB Levi Ince; DB Devin Montemayor; RB/DB Jerimiah Rivera 2021 Outlook: After missing out on the postseason in 2020, Harlingen South decided to make a change at the top with the hire of former Lyford head coach Israel Gonzalez. He coached the Bulldogs to four straight playoff appearances during his tenure and hopes to replicate the success at the Class 6A level. The Hawks offense made strides during the offseason by qualifying for the Texas State 7-on-7 Tournament in College Station. Quarterback Xander Casarez will lead the team and has an arsenal of weapons in running backs Marcos Gonzalez, Jeremiah Rivera and Ethan Garza. The last line of Harlingen South’s defense will be its strongest with Rivera and Montemayor patrolling the secondary. Coach: David Cantu, 1st year 2020 record: 2-4

Last playoff appearance: 2019

Returning starters (O/D): 3/2

Returning lettermen:16

Key players: RB Chris Resendez, OL Bo Alanis, DB Hector Muniz, DE Greg Jones, QB Adrian Longoria, RB Miles McWhorter 2021 Outlook: The Falcons enter Year 1 under former Brownsville Veterans head coach David Cantu, who built a 61-33 record during his nine years leading the Chargers’ football program. The Los Fresnos alum hopes to revitalize the Falcons and he’ll have five returning starters to work with. The offense will do a 180 as they switch from running the flexbone offense to the spread, which Cantu implemented successfully at Brownsville Veterans. Although a starting quarterback has yet to be chosen with multiple players competing for the job, returning running back Miles McWhorter will be a key as he ran for 464 yards last season.

Coach: Dan Gomez, 8th year 2020 record: 7-5, area round qualifier

Last playoff appearance: 2019

Returning starters (O/D): 3/8

Returning lettermen: 20

Key players: RB Kyler Castilleja, LB Aaron Reyes, QB Elijah Hernandez, DL Gabriel Sandoval, DB Michael Banda, OL Dominick Sanchez 2021 Outlook: The San Benito Greyhounds have made seven straight playoff appearances, all under coach Dan Gomez, and have the look of a team prepared to extend that streak. Jermaine Corbin will see time on both sides of the ball for the Greyhounds as one of the RGV’s top athletes this season. Nathaniel Garcia will lead the offensive line which hopes to give Rodney Rodriguez and Andres Villagran time to make plays for the San Benito offense.

Harlingen High Harlingen South Los Fresnos San Benito

PAID ADVERTISEMENT YOU HAVE TO GO THE EXTRA MILE

Sammy Lopez remembers being a bit awestricken as he watched the Dallas Cowboys emerge from the tunnel at this year’s NFL Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. It was, after all, his fi rst game as a summer athletic trainer intern with “America’s Team.”

“I saw the team running out of the tunnel wearing their white jerseys, and the silver pants, and the star on the helmet,” Lopez recalled. “That’s when it hit me. I was a like, ‘Wow. I’m really with the Cowboys.’ But, I had to snap out of it, realizing I was there as a staff member, not a fan.”

Lopez’s current summer internship with the Cowboys is the just latest chapter in a life story he’s been writing ever since he graduated from PSJA-North High School in 2014. Lopez knew he wanted to pursue something related to sports, but he also wanted a career in the healthcare fi eld. He began by studying Kinesiology-Athletic Medicine at the University of Texas-San Antonio. After earning his undergraduate degree in 2017, he then went on to earn his master’s degree in Athletic Training at the University of Texas-Arlington in May 2021.

“I chose sports medicine, because it deals with both sides of the story,” said Lopez. “As an athletic trainer, I’m considered a healthcare professional, but I’m also around sports teams all the time. I feel like this is my calling.”

One of Lopez’s fi rst clinical rotations during his graduate program was with SMU football. The contacts he made there recommended him to the NFL, and Lopez ultimately landed a summer 2019 internship with the Raiders, during the run up to the team’s last season in Oakland. “I only applied to three teams that year,” Lopez noted. “I specifi cally didn’t apply with the Dallas Cowboys, because I didn’t want to show up for my fi rst internship with them and not be good. I wanted to go to a different team initially to see what it’s like, see what it takes, and so I got that under my belt.”

Lopez’s fi rst stint with the Dallas Cowboys comes as the team returns to the spotlight in the HBO television series “Hard Knocks.” Though the focus is on the players, Lopez notes that it’s the athletic trainers who are the “fi rst ones in and the last ones out.” “We show up at 5:30 in the morning,” Lopez said. “We start doing treatments with some of the guys. They have meetings and we start doing fi eld set up, getting everything ready for practice. Then we have practices again in the afternoon, and into the evening, so sometimes we’re there until 9:30 p.m. We have schedules, but they change literally from hour to hour.”

Lopez says he still leans on many of the lessons he learned in college – lessons about the value of having a strong family support unit. He also learned about the value of adversity, and the importance of having friends who push you to be better. Moreover, he says he discovered that an occasional failure is a good thing.

“Failure is okay,” he mused. “Sometimes you have to fail to be reminded that you have to keep going.”

Since 2019, Lopez has been returning to his old alma mater, PSJA-North, to give talks at the annual Sports Medicine Institute. It’s his way of giving back to his community, he says. It also gives him a chance to reunite with one of his fi rst mentors, Jeff Darr, who serves as Coordinator for Athletic Trainers for the district.

“I was glad offer advice and help Sammy when he contacted me about starting down this career path,” said Darr. “He did all the hard work, and put in the long hours, and it is all paying off. I couldn’t be prouder of him and I think he will represent PSJA well in the highest levels of the athletic training profession.”

“Jeff’s been at my side through the whole thing,” Lopez added. “I talked to him when I was in the middle of my undergraduate degree. He’s pretty wise, and advised me along the way about the kinds of classes I needed to take, always leading me the right way.”

Lopez’s future is still uncharted. His summer internship with the Dallas Cowboys will end with the last preseason game, and it remains unclear whether he will be offered a full-time position that could lead to a two-year contract with the team. Regardless of what happens, he says his advice to current students is still the same.

“You have to go the extra mile,” said Lopez. “It’s what you do when the coaches aren’t looking that’s going to set you apart from other athletes. Believing in yourself is another component. Others may be competing against you, but we’re all in competition with ourselves. And when you believe in yourself it’s a huge confi dence builder and helps you achieve the goals you want out of life. Life is not a sprint. Life is more like a marathon. Focus on living in the moment and taking on the challenges you face in the present day. Short term goals create the bigger picture in the long run.”

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