DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
The idea of freshmen playing on Mission Veterans Memorial’s varsity football team is not a foreign concept.
Dynamic talents like former Patriots Santos Villarreal and Bobby Tovar, and current Patriots Roman De Leon and Landry Gilpin, all played Friday nights as freshmen.
“They will learn the mental aspect a lot sooner if they’re around the expectations of varsity kids,” Patriots coach David Gilpin said. “We treat the freshmen differently from the upperclassmen, because of their maturity level. But if you take a freshman out of there and put them in our varsity group, they’ll either sink or swim, right? Everybody we’ve taken a shot at has yet to sink.”
This year, the Patriots expect one sure-fire freshman contributor in Mikey Garcia, a wideout and natural runner whom Gilpin said might be the fastest player on the team.
Gilpin had as many as three freshmen competing with the varsity during the preseason.
“I have the utmost confidence in our decision-making when it comes to evaluating,” Gilpin said. “The best football players at this school need to be around the varsity coaches and players.”
TIGERS AND ‘CATS
Since 2010, Mercedes and Calallen have always squared off in the first game of the season.
“For many years we faced them in the first round of the playoffs,” Mercedes coach Roger Adame Jr. said. “Going into those games, we always felt that we would’ve been more prepared had we played somebody of that caliber. For awhile there, almost six or seven years in a row, we played them in the first round, and so why not start off the year like that?”
Adame appreciates how Calallen tests his team’s physicality and speed right away.
“Coach (Phil) Danaher has that program going in an awesome direction,” Adame said. “They’re very well-coached, they have great athletes. It’s a caliber of team that’s going to show you exactly where your team is at. There are some things we need to look at being early in the season, and teams like Calallen will show you real quick.”
The series has survived two realignments, a rarity in today’s evolving classification of UIL athletics.
Adame said this year’s Calallen team may be one of its strongest yet. The Wildcats return 14 starters from last year’s regional finalist.
“Those teams always have talent, but this year’s team has a bit more talent and experience than years past,” Adame said. “That’s a senior ballclub, they have a great quarterback (Gaige Lamb) and this team is as stacked as anyone’s.
“We could schedule anybody we want, but there’s no bigger test for us.”
ALVAREZ THE MAN FOR RATTLERS
Going into this week’s season opener against Weslaco East at home, Sharyland High will have senior Alan Alvarez calling the shots at quarterback.
Alvarez emerged from a four-man competition that lasted the spring and preseason. Sophomore Edgar Longoria will be Alvarez’s backup.
“Alan’s doing well,” Rattlers coach Ron Adame said. “There is growing to be done, but we feel there will be improvement from week to week. He’s got a good foundation. The learning curve will be Friday night ball, and once he gets used to communicating with his line sand being on the same page with his receivers, he’s going to be OK.”
Alvarez and the Rattlers will get a strong first test in the Wildcats. Weslaco East coach Mike Burget called Adame during the offseason in an attempt to schedule teams that would prepare the Wildcats for District 32-6A.
“There’s a mutual respect for both programs,” Adame said. “Like he’s wanting to play us to challenge his kids, we look at it the same way. That’s a team that’s been to the playoffs for awhile, and deep into the playoffs. Iron sharpens iron.”
The Rattlers will be without a starting outside linebacker who dislocated his elbow. The injury is not season-ending and Adame hopes to get him back in October.
MIXING AND MATCHING
One of Edcouch-Elsa’s primary goals during the upcoming non-district slate is finding a replacement for utility man Mac Lara, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior who plays receiver and running back.
Lara suffered a fractured tibia during the Yellowjackets’ first scrimmage two weeks ago and will be out three months.
Coach Joe Marichalar has tried moving players around and thinks it’s possible some defensive players even fill in for Lara’s role.
“Maybe within these next few games, somebody will emerge,” Marichalar said. “We want somebody who can handle the blocking, but also be versatile enough to catch a pass downfield. It’s hard to find those hybrid types of kids, but we have talent that can make an effort toward that.”
Marichalar said linebacker Joel Cardoza and defensive backs John Michael Gonzalez and James Rodriguez have seen time on offense.
At running back, Christian Contreras and Cardoza are competing for carries. JV/varsity player Jorge Gomez is also in the mix.
“It’s a good little battle going on there, and that’s why these non-district games are crucial,” Marichalar said. “I’m always about fixing our problems other than our opponent, so if we can answer those questions going into district, we’ll be pleased. Obviously we want to win, so whoever gets thrown into the fire is going to have to grow up real quick.”