By MARK MOLINA
Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Opportunities aren’t given to everyone, but when they are, it’s good to strike when the iron is hot.
Harlingen senior defensive end Isaiah Cano should know that because he has made the most out of the chances he’s gotten in high school on and off the field.
It’s no secret that Cano is dedicated in the classroom, on the defensive line or anywhere else he may be committing his time at.
“He’s just a tremendous kid and a great person overall. He does everything right in the classroom, plays the cello; he’s just an extremely bright young man,” Harlingen head football coach Manny Gomez said. “He’s passionate and loves to play the game of football.”
What makes this senior lineman so driven, however, is the fact that his father Eloy Cano Jr. wasn’t as lucky to have these doors open for him when he was a high school student.
Cano’s father, Eloy, played defensive back as a freshman, but would not advance any farther due to having adult responsibilities as a teen.
“My dad (Eloy Cano) played here at Harlingen for his freshman year, but after that he had to work,” Isaiah explained. “He tells me all the time that I’m getting the opportunity he never had and that’s what motivates me.”
For seven years Cano has been a defensive lineman and is now a leader for Gomez’s defense upfront.
On the way there, Cano has become an honor roll student and hopes to one day enter the college ranks as a player.
While he dedicates himself to accomplishing things the right way, Cano also uses his leadership position to help bring the same attitude to his line.
Cano embraces his role as a leader in a program with rich tradition.
Despite early-season struggles, he feels his team is starting to come together for a district run.
“We make sure we get our stuff done and make sure opposing offenses cannot run or pass on us; we attack full force,” Cano said said. “We’ve all been brought up to play great and relentlessly; I play five quarters, not four. I have taken the responsibility and try to show what a leader is supposed to do, which is lead, help out and listen.”
“We’re getting better and we’re getting our chemistry back and fixing our mistakes.”
Football right now is one of the most important things for the senior defensive lineman, but he understands that his studies come first and ultimately are the most important thing.
In the end, Cano hopes to duplicate his high school effort on a grander scale.
“I’ve been looking at college websites and I’m hoping that will lead me to the next step. I want to play football somewhere and I want to study civil engineering,” Cano said. “I looked into that field and it’s interesting; it’ll allow me to be creative, which I love doing.”