By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
After losing a large senior class to graduation last year, the Port Isabel Tarpons knew it would be difficult to replace them.
The Tarpons lost 16 starters, and someone had to step up in their place. Seven seniors, led by running back Jaime Gonzalez and defensive lineman Augustin Hernandez, have done just that for Port Isabel, helping them return to the playoffs again this season.
“They’ve been on varsity for three years,” Port Isabel coach Monty Stumbaugh said. “They’ve been a big part of what we do here. They’re great kids. I wish I had 22 just like them. It would be nice.”
Gonzalez is the Tarpons’ leading rusher and third in district with 1,165 yards on 127 carries (a 9.2 yard per carry average) and 12 touchdowns. He has led the charge for the Tarpons’ rushing attack, which has 3,009 yards on the ground this season, easily the best in District 16-4A Division II.
The Tarpons’ offense has been one of the top offenses in district all season, averaging 337 yards and 31 points per game. The returnees to the team weren’t sure if they could initially hit those type of numbers.
“It was definitely a challenge, but a lot of the young guys stepped up for us and are doing a good job and going hard,” Gonzalez said. “They developed must faster than we expected.”
That has helped the offensive transition be much smoother than expected.
Gonzalez said the offensive line deserves the credit. He, in particular, couldn’t have done it without them.
“Without the line, you can be the greatest running back, but it doesn’t matter,” he said.
Make no mistake,the preparation for the offense is even harder now for a possible playoff run.
“Every game is the last game. You lose, that’s it,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t want it to be my last game.”
Hernandez, one of the team’s leading tacklers, guides the Tarpons’ defense, the third-best defensive unit in the district. Port Isabel has allowed just 256 yards and less than 18 points per game to its opponents this season.
After losing a few All-Valley players from last year’s squad, the Tarpons’ defense was a question mark entering the season.
“The young guys have stepped up,” Hernandez said. “We work hard on our technique. We’re not the biggest or the strongest, we just work hard at what we do.”
Offseason workouts helped the defense grow stronger and more confident as the season neared.
“We all worked hard. We all pushed each other as hard as we could,” Hernandez said. “It was never easy. We knew the pressure that was going to be put on us, on our shoulders. We knew what we could do, what we had.
“There was never a doubt in my mind. I knew the team was going to have a lot of talent.”
Stumbaugh said each has shown a great deal of leadership toward the young Tarpons squad.
“We knew we had a lot of holes to fill, and they stepped up. They encouraged the younger kids, (showed them) how you’re supposed to prepare and play in games,” he said. “They’re both quiet, not real vocal kids. They lead by example.”
Stumbaugh added that this senior class, particularly Gonzalez and Hernandez, have earned the respect of their younger teammates.
“Their leadership has been invaluable. The kids listen to them,” Stumbaugh said. “If they talk, the kids listen.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.