MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Sharyland Pioneer is set to open its inaugural season, though one could hardly tell by the relative calm surrounding the program this week.
The Diamondbacks have developed a routine for what their day-to-day preparation will entail leading up to their game. Pioneer went through that on Monday, reviewing game film and thumbing through the scouting reports before participating in on-field workouts. Practice will intensify each day going into Friday.
So far, coach Jason Wheeler says, it’s business as usual.
“In a way, it’s historical for this game. It’s their first varsity game,” he said. “But I don’t see any pressure. My approach to the game is not any different. I think after the game is over, if we win, it’ll be looked at as more of an accomplishment because it’s the school’s first win. Other than that, it’s like any other game.”
Wheeler said some of his players were anxious before last week’s scrimmage, but he attributes that more to their eagerness to play another varsity football team. Perhaps more than anything else, the Diamondbacks also have a pair of players with a stabilizing presence in Alejandro Ramirez, a junior who played on the JV squad last year, and linebacker Joe Garza. Ramirez, who was in a three-player battle at quarterback, has solidified himself as the starter.
“He’s got a calmness about him and that’s good,” Wheeler said. “You don’t want your quarterback to always be yelling and screaming. He’s an Eli Manning-type. Nothing really bothers him. That’s a good traits for a quarterback. And with Joe Garza in the middle there, we’re going to have a pretty good linebacker corps.
“You’ve got to have leadership on both sides of the ball, someone kids can look up to. If there’s a tough situation, everyone can look to them to keep everyone calm.”
Wheeler said Garza, who started for Sharyland High last season, has asserted himself as a leader on the defensive side. Touted for his big hits and physicality, Garza’s expected to deliver the type of energy that his teammates can feed off of.
“They’re excited to get the season going,” Wheeler said. “Should be fun. I can’t wait.”
SPREADING THE OFFENSE
To make up for the loss of Orly Solis, an All-Valley first team selection last year, Roma will turn to senior running back Peter Rodriguez.
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound back has demonstrated exceptional vision entering his first varsity season, while tenaciously pacing the Gladiators’ ground attack.
“He’s a downhill runner and that’s what we want from our guys. He always seems to fall forward,” Roma coach Max Habecker Jr. said. “He’s just really worked hard to prepare his body physically for what he knows this offense entails. He’s a hard-nosed kid. He’s not one of those guys that slacks off; he works hard everyday. He’s not going to be dancing in the hole, either. He’s going to run hard.”
As the featured back, Rodriguez will take on a role once occupied by Solis, who posted 460 rushing yards and five touchdowns last season to break the Valley’s single-game record. He won’t have to shoulder the entire offense, however. Habecker said he prefers to have a more balanced attack, meaning that quarterback R.J. Garza will utilize a wide receiver corps featuring Diego Cantu, Alexis Escoto, Alex Maldonado and Aldo Ramirez.
Ramirez was a first team all-district pick last year, while Cantu and Maldonado started in the secondary.
STAYING HEALTHY
To avoid last year’s ever-swelling injury list — Valley View lost 16 players, including six in the opener — coach Baldo Peña spent the offseason searching for ways to minimize the odds of his players getting hurt. He chose to beef up their workout regimen while incorporating alternative tackling methods.
“Last year, those were freak injuries — blown knees, concussions — but this time, we got in the weight room a lot more. We’ve been working there. We’re still in the there. We’re trying to thicken our bodies to make sure we can take blows and give blows.”
“It’s amazing to see the change from last year to this year,” he added. “Our boys are resilient. They’ll stick in there and fight to the end — no-quit attitude. Last year, we got pushed around a lot. This time, they stand up and square up. It’s a different team. I love it.”
Peña turned to a series of tackling techniques promoted by Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who encourages shoulder-tackling instead of leading with the head. The second-year coach also encourages his players to “hit-and-grab” as a form of tackling, which he says “has worked really good for us,” so far.