EDINBURG — Last season, Matt Whitesides, a powerful rushing attack and a dominant defense carried Edinburg North to an 11-2 season and a regional semifinal.
Heading into 2014, Whitesides, defensive back Joey Benitez and offensive lineman Yemane Gonzalez are the only returning starters. Even the coach is different, with Rene Saenz taking over following Roy Garza’s promotion to Edinburg CISD athletic director.
This is by no means a rebuilding year for Edinburg North, the coach says.
“I don’t want to call it a rebuilding year at all, because then it gets into the kids’ heads that our expectations aren’t as high as they’ve been in the past,” Saenz said. “And by no means have those dropped. We’re gearing up for going two, three deep, and the kids’ expectations are there, too.”
With so much expected from a group with so many unknowns, Whitesides is gearing up to shoulder a heavier load.
Although he racked up 1,621 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns last season, he did it while splitting carries with Adrian Alvarez, who has since graduated.
“I see myself carrying a bigger load this year,” Whitesides said. “When I played without (Alvarez), it was pretty difficult. He got injured during the middle of the season, and I was dead after those games. I realized I had to condition a lot.”
He’s done just that this summer, running two miles worth of laps around the school before his coaches’ conditioning and weight training programs even start.
Whitesides says he’s prepared to carry the ball 20 times per game this season. His quarterback, Martin Rodriguez, thinks Whitesides is up to the challenge.
“He’s an animal,” Rodriguez said. “He can do whatever. If you need him to go down the field and carry people, he’ll do it. I think he’s just an all-around athlete.”
While Saenz has been telling Whitesides to prepare for a heavy workload, the coach is hoping it doesn’t come to fruition. The Cougars have a late bye, and they’ll need Whitesides fresh. But, Saenz knows he can call on Whitesides that much if necessary.
“He’s the toughest 160-pound kid that we’ve seen run in a long, long time,” Saenz said. “It seems like the more he gets hit, the more fired up he gets.”
Regardless, Whitesides will be the first to credit his offensive linemen and fullbacks, and all but one of those faces will be new. How quickly they can build into a cohesive unit will say a lot about the state of the program. After two straight playoff appearances, is Edinburg North an elite school capable of simply reloading? Or will this unit fall in line with the teams that went a combined 4-16 in 2010-11?
Saenz is hoping the overall numbers, the experience the returners have as reserves and the fact that North will have only one sophomore starter makes it the former more than the latter.
“That’s exactly what we’re trying to aim for,” Saenz said. “Our expectations, and it never drops year in and year out, is to play deep into November. And hopefully, we can make it to December.”
PASSING GAME
North will always be a run-first offense, with Saenz saying he hopes the split is 60/40. New quarterback Rodriguez is poised to make the most of that 40 percent.
Rodriguez said he was in the mix to start last year before a sprained ankle cost him most of the season.
Since then he’s gone to a number of quarterback camps, which he said helped him improve his accuracy and pocket presence.
He said he’s been working four to five hours per day.
“I’m ready to show the Valley what I can do,” Rodriguez said.
Michael Cantu, an all District 30-5A honorable mention last year, should be the best of the receivers.
Whitesides said he’s been impressed with the receiver group, adding that their hands have drastically improved from what he saw in the spring.
FRONT SEVEN
The Cougars are replacing their entire front seven on defense, but the defensive tackle tandem of senior Sam Garza and sophomore Sebastian Bulos has given Saenz a lot to be excited about.
Bulos in particular drew rave reviews for his size (5-foot-11, 250 pounds), athleticism and ability to be a disruptive force despite his youth.
“He doesn’t play like a sophomore,” Saenz said. “It’s not often you find a kid with that kind of size and that kind of agility. He’s got really good instincts. And couple that with his quick feet, you’ve got something there that can be special.”
Replacing a linebacker group that put three members on the all-district first team could be a bigger challenge.
“You could just take the leash off of them, and they knew what to do,” Sanez said. “These guys are taking a lot of guidance, and we’re having to talk to them after every play.”
SUPER SAFETY
Benitez gave credit for his 11 interceptions to the defensive line, but a number that high doesn’t come about on its own. He said his strength as a player is his ability to read the field, and Saenz praised his ability to teach his teammates.
“He’s able to guide the corners and the other safeties as to their alignment and their responsibilities,” Saenz said. “The kids really respect what he does and how he goes about his business.”
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EDINBURG NORTH’S PROGNOSIS
Edinburg North returns only three starters from last year’s squad that went three rounds deep. Safety Joey Benitez and RB Matthew Whitesides were two of the team’s best, but they’ll need some support to repeat 2013’s run.
2014 Record: 7-4
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COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Rene Saenz
Year at school: First
Record at North: 0-0