GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
La Joya Palmview’s defense has statistically been the best 6A unit in the Valley this season, allowing just 209.4 yards per game. The centerpiece of that group is senior outside linebacker Amador Garcia, a three-year starter.
“He’s been the heart and soul of our defense,” coach Margarito Requenez said. “For being one of the smartest players on the field, he also has the biggest heart out there.”
Requenez said Garcia has made big plays in every game, just as he’s done throughout his career. He ranks third on the team with 56 total tackles and has forced a team-high four fumbles. As Palmview has shifted to a more aggressive defense, Garcia’s ability to diagnose offenses has been key.
“He knows what’s going to be run at him based on the formation that they’re in,” Requenez said. “He’s one of those athletes that if you tell him to go watch film, he’s going to go do it, and he’ll pick up on those little hints and keys.”
Palmview has been one of the Valley’s biggest surprises this season, jumping out to a 5-1-1 record and an undefeated 3-0 start in District 30-6A. The next step is topping La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, which is 4-0 all-time against Palmview.
“Our focus is making sure that we get that goose egg off our board,” Requenez said.
DIAZ’S APPROACH PAYS OFF
Edinburg High quarterback Angel Diaz has spent most of his career in the shadows. Last season, he was the backup to starter Michael Harrison. He entered his senior year as the starter, but a combination of injuries and ineffective play led to him losing the job to junior Efrain Borrego.
Regardless, Diaz’s approach never changed.
“He was still coming to work, had a great attitude, and I think that’s what it takes,” Edinburg High coach Joaquin Escobar said. “He’s a great leader, and we finally decided to give him the reins back. … He’s really stepped it up.”
Diaz started Friday against PSJA Memorial and helped lead previously 1-5 Edinburg to a 17-7 win in one of the biggest upsets of the Valley football season. He completed 10 of 18 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
“Being in that position, there’s a lot of people that would fold,” Escobar said. “That’s why I was happy for him.”
Escobar said Diaz will again lead a vastly improved Edinburg team into this week’s game against Economedes. The Bobcats have been playing better as the team has been getting more acclimated to first-year coach Escobar’s schemes — a process that became easier when the staff simplified things on the offensive side. The group has also started to find answers on the offensive line, which is yet to start the same five in consecutive weeks. Against Memorial, center and junior leader Matt Basquez was flanked by two sophomores and converted defensive lineman Raul Rodriguez.
“He’s really brought a different attitude to our o-line,” Escobar said.
TAKING ITS TOLL
Despite losing starter after starter to injury during the first eight weeks of the season, PSJA Memorial kept winning, jumping out to a 4-3 start, including a 2-1 mark in District 31-6A. But last week against Edinburg High, the roster depletion became too much to overcome.
“With as many kids as we’ve lost, we’ve had to kind of scramble,” coach Gus Cavazos said. “The kids played above their means a couple of weeks ago to overcome those injuries. We just weren’t able to do that last week.”
Down so many key contributors, Memorial was unable to surmount penalties and a pair of turnovers that gave Edinburg the ball inside the Wolverines’ 20-yard line. The result was a 17-7 loss.
To make matters worse, Memorial does not have a bye until Week 11. Cavazos has resorted to using some players on both offense and defense, although that makes keeping everyone fresh and healthy an even greater challenge.
“It’s catching up to us,” Cavazos said. “We’re trying to tone down practices a little bit so that we don’t have as much contact and whatnot, so hopefully that will help us out a little bit this coming week.”