PHARR — Marcus Kauffman didn’t get what all the fuss was about.
As the first-year coach acquainted himself with the athletes of PSJA North by watching film from the previous regime, he didn’t see the high-powered offense reflected in the team’s gaudy statistics, nor did he see the up-tempo style suggested by the team’s prolific scoring rate.
Instead, he saw a team pretending to be something it wasn’t.
“These kids were trying to be something that isn’t in their DNA,” Kauffman said. “They were in a spread, trying to air it out or rip off a lot of yardage at once. I saw a lot of three-and-outs. Occasionally they’d rip off the big play, but I want to take these kids back to what the Raiders were back when this school first opened, a tough, physical team. They’re ready to hit somebody.”
It’s that old-fashioned gusto Kauffman brings with him from McAllen Memorial, where he served as offensive coordinator for 13 seasons. Though he’ll be without a go-to threat like Bradley Stephens or Trevor Speights — two of the most dominant running backs in Valley history — Kauffman will look to refine the Raiders’ offense, strengthening their potency while maximizing efficiency.
North returns five offensive starters from a unit that averaged 398 yards in 2015, including halfback Bo Adams and quarterback Darren Fuentes. Fuentes, an incoming senior, became the guy under center midseason after then-quarterback George Olivarez was benched by then-coach Jorge Peña, who resigned in January.
Despite the turmoil in the locker room, the Raiders appeared in the postseason for the second time in as many years. The team looks to improve upon last year behind a renewed energy and focus brought in part by Kauffman’s arrival.
“The mood is great right now,” Adams said. “There’s an energy there that wasn’t really there a year ago. Guys are bringing it during drills. You can tell that everyone is excited with Coach Kauffman.”
Adams split time at wide receiver and quarterback last season, but looks to be used primarily as a ballcarrier out of the backfield. Don’t expect Adams’ dynamic skill set to be limited too much. Kauffman is stressing versatility on both sides of the ball to keep opponents guessing.
Though Kauffman has only been on the job for a few months, he looks to bypass the pains of rebuilding, and simply retool and reload for a team that he thinks can make noise in the postseason.
“I expect us to be really good,” Kauffman said. “I think we’re going to be a damn good team, actually.”
BACK IN LINE
Kauffman inherits enough holdovers from last year’s team to ease his transition, but he is spending part of spring ball focusing on the offensive line.
Though the unit returns three starters, including incoming senior and all-state standout Vicente Palacios, Kauffman says the O-line has some of the biggest question marks.
“We’re just looking for some consistency with them, and trying to figure out who fits where,” Kauffman said. “We have an idea of who’s going to be where, but we want guys competing like they’re fighting for a starting spot. That’s going to keep the intensity level up to where we want it to be.”
North offensive coordinator Weldon Jones will oversee the O-line. Jones was the line coach for two years under Kauffman at Memorial. Jones was also the O.C. for McAllen Rowe in 2012 and 2013.
MEND THE DEFENSE
Though the Raiders were notable for their offense in 2015, their defense ranked near the bottom among Valley teams in Class 6A. North allowed opponents to score nearly 37 points and surrendered a District 31-6A-worst 386 yards per game.
Assisting North in rectifying its defensive woes is first-year defensive coordinator William Littleton, who joins Kauffman after serving a stint at Los Fresnos as a secondary coach. No surprise that Littleton will employ a 4-2-5 scheme reliant on defensive backs.
“We think that’s the best way to be versatile and throw different things at the offense,” Littleton said. “It’s a pretty basic premise, but there are a lot of different ways you can go with it. It’s all going to be about confusing the opponent.”
The Raiders return five defensive starters from last year, including safety Raudel Alvarez.