BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — With All-Valley Player of the Year Trevor Speights leading an offense that averaged 459.4 yards per game, scoring was rarely an issue for McAllen Memorial last season. Instead, the questions centered on the defense, which ranked fifth in the seven-team District 30-6A.
If McAllen Memorial is to improve on last season’s finish — a 35-20 loss to Del Rio in the bi-district round that left a sour taste in the Mustangs’ mouths — the defense will need to take a step forward.
“They’re going to get their yards, and they’re going to get their touchdowns,” linebacker Sam Hinojosa said of Memorial’s offense. “As a defense, we just want to keep points off the board. I think if we can get the ball back as quickly as we can to those guys in the offense, we’re going to be a really tough group. We’re going to be really hard to beat.”
Hinojosa is in line to be one of the defense’s central figures. He is one of six returning starters from 2014, when he ranked third on the team with 93 tackles. He is charged with replacing not just the team-best 146 tackles of departed senior Lucas Rios, but with filling in for Rios’ leadership.
Coach Bill Littleton lauded Hinojosa for his football smarts.
“I’m trying to help the younger guys, take more of a leadership role, and get the team where I know it could be,” Hinojosa said.
Memorial returns three-year starter Ozzy Salazar at cornerback and Joey Delgado, last season’s second-leading tackler with 106 stops, at safety. Littleton called Delgado a surprise last season, saying he “overachieved.”
Up front, Memorial boasts defensive tackle Ricky Minor and the bookend tandem of Paul Zuniga and JD Islas. Littleton expects that pass-rushing duo to “cause a lot of havoc for people this year” after a strong offseason of weight training.
“We have great quickness and speed over there,” Littleton said. “On offense, every day we come in and have meetings, and they talk about how quick we look (on defense). That’s a good sign.”
With only one starter returning on the offensive line, the Mustangs will likely have to work out a few kinks. Littleton said the defense will have to “carry them for a little while,” the inverse of what was commonly the case last year.
Memorial projects to have only two defensive starters without previous varsity experience.
“I wouldn’t feel bad about playing the ball game tomorrow,” Littleton said. “With the defensive guys we have, I think we could line up and play pretty well.”
MORE SPEIGHTS
Speights returns for his senior season after running for 2,655 yards and 30 touchdowns last year. He needs just 1,131 yards in 2015 to break the Valley record, and with the offensive line in flux, Littleton said the Mustangs “will probably rely on him more than we have.”
Speights is continuing to try to bulk up, and he said he currently weighs 208 lbs. — a 20-pound improvement from his sophomore season in 2013.
Two weeks ago, Speights received an offer from Stanford University, marking his eighth Division-I offer.
“Stanford is definitely a frontrunner for me, just because of what they have to offer academically and on the field,” Speights said.
QUARTERBACK SPOT
With last season’s starting quarterback, Fabian Pedraza, transferring to Edinburg Vela, Jonathan Sanchez is preparing to retake the reins for the Mustangs.
Sanchez was Memorial’s more mobile option at quarterback last season, rushing for 266 yards and five scores while completing 5 of 13 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. He also missed a pair of games due to injury.
Although used mostly as a back and receiver last year, Sanchez was Memorial’s primary quarterback in 2013, completing 30 of 80 passes for 526 yards and 6 TDs. He also ran for 438 yards and six scores.
“I really did miss quarterback a little bit,” Sanchez said. “Now that I’m back in it, I’m devoted and ready to work.”
Added Littleton: “He’s taking control of the offense, and we expect him to have an outstanding year.”
McALLEN MEMORIAL
Returning Starters (offense/defense): 4/6
Returning Lettermen: 21
Key Players: RB Trevor Speights, QB/WR Jonathan Sanchez, WR DJ Johnson, DB Joey Delgado, LB Sam Hinojosa
Biggest question: Can the running game have the same success with a new offensive line?
2014 record: 9-2