By ANDREW CRUM
Staff Writer
The past two years have been tough for Lopez, but it is focused on improvement as practice gets into full swing.
In fact, the Lobos don’t even think about the past. Instead, they’re figuring out what to do to develop in the present.
“Every year’s a new year, but our previous years aren’t in the forefront of our minds,” Lopez coach Jason Starkey said. “This is a new year. A new team with a new team dynamic, new coaches, new players, a new district, everything’s new this year.
“We’re just excited for a new opportunity in 2016.”
Sticking with the new theme, Lopez has a new defensive coordinator, Hugo Ramirez, an assistant last season on the Lopez staff. He takes over for Raul Gomez, who left to take the same position with Porter this offseason.
Beto Leal returns as offensive coordinator for the Lobos.
Even with only a change to one of the top assistants, Lopez expects to make changes on both sides of the ball.
“We’re going to be different schematically,” Starkey said. “This year we’re going to be different offensively and different defensively, so there was a learning curve even for the returning starters.”
The Lobos lost 21 seniors from the roster of one year ago, but plenty of experience returns with at least a year or two of varsity experience.
That should help Lopez improve upon its win total from one season ago.
“Anytime you have kids that have already played on Friday night and have already overcome the butterflies that are involved with that, it’s always a good thing,” Starkey said.
That includes Jose Echavarria, the Lobos’ multi-faceted player who returns for his junior season.
Echavarria was one of the top offensive weapons for Lopez one year ago and is only going to improve. He and his teammates are optimistic they can make strides from last season.
“This year our aspirations are to make it to the playoffs,” he said. “That was the goal from Day 1 after the season finished last year.”
At this time last season, Lopez was installing plays rather than reviewing its playbook. This year is quite the opposite.
The Lobos are building upon that and getting sharper in early practices.
While not dwelling on the past, Starkey embraces the past two seasons as a learning experience. And hopefully that means a continuation of progress this season.
“Those years were tough,” he said. “Sometimes I believe you have to walk through some humble times in order to experience true success, not only in sports but in life. We’ve paid our dues and have eaten the humble pie.
“My hope is we get to reap some of the fruits of our labors.”
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.