By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Hanna struggled with consistency on offense while juggling a trio of quarterbacks last season, trying to find the right fit. Once the Golden Eagles found their guy, Andy Lopez, the offense took off and has continued to do so this season.
Lopez won the starting job and has made the most of his opportunities. This season, he is the top quarterback in District 32-6A, despite playing in one fewer game due to a weather cancellation of a non-district game.
Lopez leads the district with 1,507 yards passing. He has completed 100 of 139 passes for a completion percentage just a shade under 72 percent and nine touchdowns.
“I think having that solid base at quarterback has a lot to do with (the Eagles’ consistency),” Hanna coach Rene Medrano said. “Once we realized that he won the spot, it’s been easier to scheme week-to-week, a lot easier. That in itself gives us more time to do what we need to do to try to move the football on a weekly basis.”
The Eagles have the third-best offense in the district, averaging 326 yards per game.
Lopez said a lot of offseason work has helped the team jell.
“I just tried to create a bond with the linemen, with the receivers, just trying to get (us) together first before we do individual things,” he said. “That’s how we started. We weren’t as together last year as we are now. Right now we’re a big family. We do everything together. We go eat together, we hang out together, that’swhat we needed to do. We’re around each other as much as we are so we can play together.
“(It’s) creating more chemistry in between all of us.”
That chemistry has helped Hanna play better as a team this season, especially in back-to-back wins the last two weeks.
“We’re just coming together,” Lopez said. “We know we have a pretty good team this year. We know that all 11 guys on the field, even the guys on the bench cheering us on, we have to do it together, we can’t do it by ourselves.”
Medrano said Lopez is quite important as one of the team’s leaders and multiple roles.
“He does a lot for us. Not only is he our quarterback, but he’s our kicker, our punter,” Medrano said.
Lopez doesn’t put much emphasis on being the leader. He’s just doing his part for the team.
“It starts with the front five, but everybody has to do their job,” Lopez said. “I just try and follow the seniors. I fight for them and try to get everyone together, keep everyone’s head up, keepeveryone positive. I just try to do it for the seniors.”
Medrano said that is just the type of person Lopez is, making sure to credit his teammates before himself.
“He’s pretty humble,” Medrano said. “He’ll take the leadership role, but he understands there’s a lot of good guys around him, protecting him and help make him successful.”
Medrano knows the pressure is on his junior quarterback, but Lopez has accepted it.
“Andy knows we’re in a stretch run and every play is huge,” Medrano said. “We don’t take it a game at a time, we take it a play at a time. We’re pretty fortunate he’s having the year’s he’s having.
“Hopefully he can continue on his roll, and hopefully things (for us) will click.”
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.