MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Forty-four’s the magic number, if you ask Roma coach Max Habecker Jr.
“I know there’s teams that are going to have a crazy number of kids (on their roster),” he said. “But as far as we’re concerned, this is where we need to be.”
Through four games, the Gladiators (2-1-1) boast the best defense in District 31-5A and arguably the toughest in Habecker’s eight years with the program. Ask why, and he refers back to his roster size.
“We have enough guys now that we don’t have to play them both sides of the ball,” he said. “I think that’s been a really big part of it. It’s about putting the right pieces in place.”
Last year, Roma missed the playoffs, despite a 6-4 record, suiting up 33 players. The Gladiators finished in the bottom-half of district in offensive yards allowed. Yet another year passed without a postseason appearance.
Something had to change.
“We had a winning record and it still wasn’t enough,” Habecker said. “We still needed a few more big plays, we still needed a few more big stops, we still needed a few more big runs. And it’s just been a focus this year on those small things.”
The small things, it seems, have made all the difference. The Gladiators have prioritized defense unlike any other year in their relatively short history. So far, they have allowed only one touchdown per game, with the exception of a 14-6 loss to still-undefeated Uvalde. Roma’s bad snap was picked off near the Uvalde end zone late in the game and converted into the go-ahead TD.
It’s the only hiccup in what has otherwise been an impressive defensive effort —a meager 154 yards surrendered per contest, tops in the Valley.
“We take our defense very seriously,” defensive coordinator Frank Villanueva said. “If we’re able to keep the other team from scoring, that gives us a shot to win games.”
Villanueva reiterates the same message — “don’t give up the big play” — to the point of exhaustion. Not that Roma has needed it. After yielding a 62-yard scoring run to Cigarroa, the Gladiators rallied to blank their opponent through the final three quarters, on the road, en route to their second consecutive win.
“The kids stepped it up,” Villanueva said. “I just think they’re hard on themselves. They have a lot of pride. They don’t want to get scored on. They don’t want people to drive the ball on them. So you could hear it on the sidelines, ‘No more scoring! No more touchdowns!’ And that’s what’s really good: there’s a lot of communication on the field. They take it upon themselves to do that.”
On average, the Gladiators have had six sophomores on their roster. This year, they have 15, including eight starters (four on each side). The communication between the upper- and lower-classmen has helped bridge the learning gap.
Part of that can be attributed to the senior leadership of Diego Cantu, a safety, and Roger Lozano, an outside linebacker. The two have taken young starters, like middle linebacker Gerardo Gonzalez, cornerback J.J. Pena and defensive end Sylvestre Grimaldo, under their wings to form a quicker, harder-hitting defense this year.
“I think it’s a combination of everything,” Habecker said. “We have the right personnel. We have a great defensive staff that does a good job on the field. And throughout the week, they’re making adjustments and bringing everyone on the same page before we get out there for practice. Everyone’s just jelling.
“You see it by how they’re understanding formations, getting reads, reacting, executing as a unit. The kids are a lot more focused.”
Even though the Gladiators field a below-average offense, Habecker has credited that side of the ball for the defense’s success. In chewing up chunks off the clock, Roma’s defense has played relatively fresh all year.
There was an instance last week in which Roma ate up 8 minutes on a 17-play sequence that ended without a score. Even in those cases, the Gladiators defense had enough time to recover before the next series.
It’s those fresh legs and suffocating defense that have Roma in the thick of a playoff hunt — potentially the No. 4 spot — with district coming up Friday against Rio Grande City.
“Every game, I see improvement. And that’s a good sign for us,” Habecker said. “The teams that keep improving throughout the season are the ones that have good runs. And if we’re able to start off the second half of our season on a good note — and as long as we keep doing the things we need to do — I see good things for us in our future.”