ALAMO — Towards the end of last season, PSJA Memorial football coach Gus Cavazos started to hear the rumblings from his players. He had been thinking the same thing for some time, although he had never said it.
“They all knew that we were basically playing for next year,” Cavazos said. “You don’t want to preach that, and I never told them that, but they understood that. … They knew that this year was going to be their year.”
PSJA Memorial returns 19 players with starting experience, including nine regular starters on offense. As freshmen, the current crop of seniors won the district championship for the first time in school history. The question is whether those players have grown and developed enough to avoid a repeat of last year’s 2-8 season.
“The naysayers are going to say, ‘Yeah, that was from a 2-8 team,’” Cavazos said. “And they’re right. But we weren’t a bad 2-8 team. We competed with most teams. … I think we have a chance to be a really good team.”
Memorial had only four senior starters last season. The team entered the year with 18 starters who had never played a varsity game. Cavazos saw the nerves of playing in front of thousands of people, with the band, and the cheerleaders, and the media attention. Now, they’ve been through it.
“We do have a ton of starters coming back, and we all grew with each other,” wideout Eric Medellin said. “We’ve grown up a lot. Everybody is showing a lot that they’ve grown and what they’ve learned. We’re looking good so far.”
Perhaps none have grown more during the past year than quarterback Michael Gonzalez, who was only 15 years old when he was unexpectedly thrust into the starting quarterback position during Memorial’s second game last season.
Gonzalez had the raw ability, but Cavazos saw that nerves clearly affected him. Instead of putting touch on his passes, Gonzalez fired every one at full speed, leading to as many as seven drops in a game.
Gonzalez said he put in a lot of work with his backs and receivers during the summer, emphasizing touch and timing. He also worked with bands and did drills with a rope ladder to improve his agility and footwork.
“I feel I’ve matured,” Gonzalez said.
Cavazos has also seen his quarterback add strength. He now benches more then 300 pounds, and can squat more than 500. His thick frame was already an advantage, and this should make him even more difficult to bring down.
“Him playing nine games last year and starting eight of them is really going to be a blessing for us now,” Cavazos said. “Michael is in for a big year.”
RECEIVING THREATS
Gonzalez’s top target should be Medellin, who started last season at quarterback before suffering a tear of the AC joint in his shoulder. Cavazos said Medellin will likely take a few snaps this year as a wildcat quarterback, and Medelllin said he’s comfortable in either role.
Cavazos has also been pleased with John Anthony Saenz, Memorial’s starter in the slot.
“Those two boys are really, really good football players,” Cavazos said. “They can both run 4.5s (in the 40-yard dash). Great hands. Just natural, natural, God-given talent.”
Jay Bocanegra will be Memorial’s other starter at wideout, and Cavazos praised his speed and talent.
“We’re pretty fast,” Saenz said of the receiver group. “We’re ready to surprise everybody.”
STRONG SECONDARY
Led be returning first-team all-district 31-5A selection Kevin Spears in his hybrid linebacker-safety role, the secondary should be the strong point of Memorial’s defense. The Wolverines have good size around him, with 6-foot-2 safety Vicente Rodriguez and 6-foot-1 corner Smiley Canizales.
Cavazos said Medellin will also play some free safety.
“Our secondary is going to be really tough,” Cavazos said. “We have seven, with Eric, that can start and that can play at a very high level.”
ON THE GROUND
Jonathan Trevino will be Memorial’s primary running back. Despite being banged up for parts of last season, he racked up 452 yards on the ground.
“We’ve done some things in the spring to really work on his flexibility,” Cavazos said. “That’s really helped him.”
Jesse Bustamante was also involved in the running game last season, and he’ll play both back and receiver in 2014.
On the line, Memorial returns three starters, two of who will be entering their third year.
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Tenure
Coach: Gus Cavazos
Year at school: 7th
Record: 27-36
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Prognosis
The Wolverines have a lot of experience on both sides of the ball, including nine returning starters on offense and first-team all-district hybrid Kevin Spears on defense. Expect Memorial to contend for a playoff spot.
2014 record: 4-6