GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
For a McAllen Rowe defense decimated by injuries, underclassmen Richard Sanders and Frank Delgado have stepped forward to pick up the slack.
Through six games, Sanders is the team’s leading tackler with 50 stops. Delgado ranks just behind with 49.
Sanders is one of 12 sophomores on the varsity roster, including three starters on each side of the ball. His athleticism put him on coach Paul Reyes’ radar this season, and his “coachability” allowed him to fit in seamlessly.
“He’s young, so every game is a new experience for him,” Reyes said. “He’s been stepping up and doing a good job for us all year.”
Delgado began last season as a JV player before moving up to varsity late in the year. His strength and quickness are his top assets, and he’s been able to put them to better use as he’s gotten used to varsity play, Reyes said.
“He started off a little slow, but I think he got comfortable and understood what he had to do,” Reyes said. “He’s become one of our better defensive players.”
Defense overall has been a struggle for Rowe, as the team ranks last in District 30-6A with 419.5 yards per game allowed.
The Warriors were without four starters last week: defensive lineman Ernest Martinez, linebacker Aaron Ramirez, linebacker Alex Juarez, and defensive back Jose Barrera. Reyes did not believe any of them would be back for Friday’s game against Palmview.
“We look at the big plays we give up, and it’s like we miss a tackle here and we miss a tackle there,” Reyes said. “It just comes back to haunt us sometimes.”
NEXT MAN UP
With leading rusher Justin Leanos sidelined for the rest of the season by a torn ACL, senior Brandon Ramos is stepping forward as the primary back for La Joya High.
After splitting carries with Leanos for the first half of the year, Ramos got the bulk of the work in last week’s 28-20 win against La Joya Palmview, running 15 times for 71 yards and a score.
“He’s aggressive,” coach George Espinoza said. “He’s not one who is going to shy away from contact. He’s a tough runner. He’s going to lower his shoulders and come at you. He has enough speed that he can get to the outside.”
The physical running style comes naturally for Ramos, who was an outside linebacker and strong safety last year before asking for a crack at running back during the offseason.
La Joya wanted to move to more two-back sets in 2015, and Ramos proved to be a fit by showing well in 7-on-7 and two-a-days. On the year, he has 60 carries for 269 yards and three scores.
“He carries that defensive mentality over to the offensive side, so that kind of helps out,” Espinoza said.
Leanos suffered the injury Oct. 2 against McAllen High and underwent surgery Wednesday. The senior had run for 430 yards and a touchdown on 69 carries through six games. He was also the team’s leading rusher in 2014, picking up 987 yards and nine touchdowns.
OTHER OPTIONS
La Joya Palmview’s Joel Piña was held to just 40 yards on 14 carries in a loss to La Joya High last week. The output was the lowest this season for Piña, who ran for more than 200 yards in four of the team’s first five games. His previous low came in Week 4, when he ran 18 times for 133 yards in a loss to Roma.
On the season, Piña still ranks second in the district with 1,148 yards and 18 touchdowns.
With Pina having a rough week, Misael Guerra stepped forward, carrying 13 times for 114 yards to crack the 100-yard mark for the first time since Week 2.