BY JON R. LaFOLLETTE | STAFF WRITER
WESLACO — As Tony Villarreal prepares for another opportunity to extend Weslaco High’s season, he is faced with the same dilemma that has plagued him throughout the year. The catch is, there may not be a wrong answer.
“As a coach, it’s a wonderful problem to have,” Villarreal said. “I’ve got so many kids on the sideline, and only so many plays I can have them out there.”
The Panthers (9-2) are among the deepest teams in the Valley, and have utilized their depth en route to a seven-game winning streak heading into Friday’s area-round game against Laredo United at Cabaniss Stadium in Corpus Christi.
The bulk of Weslaco’s depth, however, rests in their corps of running backs, the most important position of the Panthers’ slot-T offense. During 10 regular season games, Weslaco gained 4,103 yards of offense, with all but 464 coming on the ground.
Though senior Brian Guerra leads the team with 1,090 rushing yards, numbers do not necessarily translate to talent, nor do they reflect abilities. Each of the Panthers’ backs possesses varying skills and is used according to the situation at hand.
“Coach has certain packages for each runner,” running backs coach Domingo Vento said. “Throughout the week each back works in their respective packages and gets them ready for their particular duties for game day.”
While Guerra gets the bulk of the yardage, senior Jonathan Martinez is the muscle, and leads the team in rushing touchdowns with 14. Usiel Gonzalez is the speed demon, and Major Free is the bruising downhill back. Those four combined for 3,051 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Entering preseason practices, Villarreal knew Guerra and Martinez would be contributors from the get-go. As juniors, the pair key members of last year’s district championship team. The biggest unknowns were Gonzalez, who missed his junior year to personal reasons, and Free, who had yet to find a defined role on the team.
“We knew he ran hard,” Villarreal said. “We used him last year as a jet guy. He would run from sideline to sideline because of his speed. He was very fast. But we really thought that if he could run downhill, and have a little bit of that vision, we knew defenses were going to collapse. Every time he goes into the line, defenses have to collapse and that creates space for everyone else on the field.”
Though Free began the season as a project player, he has flourished in the Panthers’ last two games. During wins over Weslaco East and Los Fresnos, Free has combined for 184 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries.
“He’s the best downhill runner I’ve ever seen,” Guerra said. “He’s just so big and so strong. It’s tough for teams to tackle him.”
Though each rusher plays his role, perhaps no Panther back is as multifaceted as Martinez. Vento lauds Martinez’s vision, speed, hands and blocking abilities before mentioning his strength — Martinez’s greatest asset.
Though he’s listed as a fullback, Martinez does not fit the perception of the position. He’s neither stocky nor slow-footed and lumbering. He is, however, muscular in the right places.
“His legs are so strong,” Villarreal said. “His thighs, knees and calves are like tree trunks. And he’s so hard to bring down because his center of gravity is so low, especially in the end zone. Once he smells the end zone, you’re not going to stop him.”
But while the Panthers’ top four rushers have enjoyed their own measures of success, they are never allowed the luxury of growing complacent. If they don’t produce, there is a bevy of other backs waiting on the sideline and eager to prove their worth. Excluding quarterback Desi Rodriguez, nine Panthers have taken turns carrying the ball.
“They’ve got a quota to meet,” Vento said. “They know that if they don’t get six yards a carry, they’re fired for a quarter. I tell them, ‘Go hang your head and pout on the other side of the sideline.’ We don’t have time for it because there’s too many kids on this team waiting to get their turn.”
Meeting the team’s per-carry goal proved even more difficult during district, where Weslaco outscored opponents by an average margin of 33 points and starters often sat much of the second half.
“We’re all teammates at the end of the day,” Guerra said. “We all push each other in our own ways. But, at the end of the day, our goal is to win by any means possible. It doesn’t matter how many yards any of us get. Getting the win is everything.”