By ANDREW CRUM
Staff Writer
Los Fresnos running back Eli Cruz is motivated to lead his team to another successful season.
Now a senior, Cruz will be expected to lead his team on the field and in the locker room. It began with the qualities last year’s senior class saw in him.
“There were a bunch of leaders last year that were telling me this is going to be your team (this) year,” Cruz said. “I feel my coaches really push me so much more, too. Even after finishing a play, they want me to sprint that 10 extra yards, they want me to set the example, and I definitely feel that from the coaches.”
Los Fresnos coach Clint Finley has already seen during early practices what Cruz means to his team.
“He’s a big part of our offense. He has some speed, he can really run,” Finley said. “He’s an explosive player, and you put him in some space and he’s going to run away from a lot of people. I haven’t seen him get caught from behind very many times.
“He’s a very smart player, he understands our offense and can play several positions, which makes him a very big part of our football games.”
Similar to last season, Cruz won’t be expected to shoulder the work on his own. Fellow senior James Rangel and junior Isaac Moreno are expected to get plenty of carries, so Cruz doesn’t feel any added pressure.
“I have capable replacements for me, and (quarterback) Pierce (Ruiz) makes good enough plays on his feet,” Cruz said. “I don’t need to take the whole load, so it enables me to focus more on my part and not biting off more than I can chew.”
That is exactly what Finley is hoping for the offense.
“I think (Cruz) be a big factor, but we have a couple other running backs that have shown some good things,” he said. “I don’t think (defenses) will be able to key on him. There will be some other people that will take some of the load, some of the pressure, off him, and I think it will be very beneficial for our offense.”
While Cruz isn’t alone in the backfield, he also isn’t alone about the way he feels about his team. He and his classmates have taken it upon themselves to work toward a common goal: exceeding last year’s success.
“It’s self motivation to exceed that and keep that going,” he said. “Keep that tradition and bring it back where it once was, that’s the biggest goal for us. The team has come together in such a unique way. I don’t know what our limit is.”
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.