By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
After leading St. Joseph Academy to an 8-3 season last year, including the first home playoff game for the Bloodhounds in 30 years, the expectations for quarterback Kai Money were high at the start of the season.
Money rose above the hype and exceeded expectations.
He led St. Joseph to a playoff win this season and a trip to the second round of the playoffs, where it fell to the eventual TAPPS state champion, Dallas Bishop Lynch.
However, Money amassed 454 yards of offense — 278 yards passing and three touchdowns and 176 yards rushing — during a high-scoring affair.
For his outstanding season, the junior quarterback has been named The Brownsville Herald’s 2016 All-Metro Most Valuable Player.
“It’s a great honor, I’m very honored,” Money said. “There were a lot of high expectations coming into the year, but throughout the year I had tremendous support from my teammates and coaches. I was just trying to do my best to win games.”
Money finished with 1,348 yards and 16 touchdowns on 157 carries (8.6 yards per carry) on the ground, and he threw for 1,275 and another 16 touchdowns to lead the Bloodhounds’ potent offense that averaged 486 yards and 41 points per game.
He added 547 yards and four touchdowns through the air, and 374 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in the postseason.
Money didn’t just come out of the blue this season; he’s been the starting quarterback for the Bloodhounds since he was a freshman. He has continued to improve every year.
“That’s hard to do,” St. Joseph coach Tino Villarreal said. “Anybody that starts from their freshman year is bound to have a bad year. But it has nothing to do with meeting anyone’s expectations; I just think he loves the game that much and he has so much fun. As he develops and matures, he does so as a football player.
“He just wants to win, and that’s what drives him at the end of the day.”
That why Money works as hard as he does in the offseason. He works on everything from footwork to throwing to being able to read coverages better.
“That’s the goal, to get better every year,” he said. “It comes down to how much work you put in during the offseason, building relationships with teammates and coaches.”
With one more season left, how much better can Money get? It will come down to the only standard by which quarterbacks are ultimately measured. How far can one take their team in the playoffs or can you win a championships?
“Kai Money can win big games,” Villarreal said. “We know that he can play at the level. When it comes down to the biggest games, do you have what it takes? He had 454 yards of offense against the state champs, you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Money doesn’t try to live up to anyone’s standard but his own. He doesn’t set goals to reach in terms of yardage or touchdowns. The only thing that matters is winning games.
He prefers to live by a mantra, “Try your best, no matter what the circumstances are, do the best you can do and live with the results.”
Villarreal said Money is anxious to get back to work for his final season.
“He’s ready to put the pads back on,” Villarreal said. “And redeem himself and the Bloodhounds, and try to take it one or two steps further (in the playoffs). Next year is the time for Kai to start leaving a legacy and grooming the younger kids in his footsteps.”
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.
The Brownsville Herald’s 2016 All-Metro Football Team
Most Valuable Player
Kai Money, St. Joseph Academy
Offensive Player of the Year
Omar Silva, Port Isabel
Defensive Player of the Year
Jesse Luna, Lopez
All-Purpose Player of the Year
Mark Mata, Los Fresnos
Newcomer of the Year
Nicholas Valencia, Los Fresnos
Coach of the Year
Jason Starkey, Lopez
First Team
Quarterback: Gusatvo Vasquez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Running back: Ivan Olivo, Lopez; Mario Garcia, St. Joseph Academy
Wide receiver: Bernardo De La Garza, St. Joseph Academy; Gabriel Zapata, Pace
Tight end: Victor Rodriguez, Pace
Offensive tackle: Jordan Rangel, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Jaime Longoria, Los Fresnos
Offensive guard: Miles Fowkes, St. Joseph Academy; Pedro Pinales, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Center: Jonathan Ojeda, Pace
Kicker: Jose Kauachi, St. Joseph Academy
Defensive End: Christopher Bode, Port Isabel; Juan Rodriguez, Lopez
Defensive Tackle: Ricardo Miner, St. Joseph Academy; Rulbert De La Torre, Lopez
Linebacker: Brandon Martinez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Sebastian Gonzales, Los Fresnos; Alec Angeles, Lopez
Secondary: Alex Garcia, Los Fresnos; Matthew Garcia, Hanna; JJ Sanchez, Los Fresnos; Irving Perez, Lopez
Punter: Jorge Cordova, Rivera
Second team
Quarterback: Randy Aguilar, Pace
Running back: Jamie Gonzalez, Hanna; Johnathan Gonzalez, Porter
Wide receiver: Johnny Ibarra, Lopez; Jose Echavarria, Lopez
Tight end: Adrian Ramirez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Offensive tackle: Juan Lopez, Porter; Oscar Del Abra, Port Isabel
Offensive guard: Joseph Torres, Port Isabel
Center: Virgil Munoz, Los Fresnos
Kicker: Jose Luis Zarate, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Defensive End: Javier Gonzalez, St. Joseph Academy; Tommy Martinez, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Defensive Tackle: Damien Tabares, Brownsville Veterans Memorial; Wally Santamaria, Los Fresnos
Linebacker: John Ray Martinez, Port Isabel; Danny Garcia, Los Fresnos; Gabriel Gonzalez, Hanna
Secondary: Enrique Gonzalez, Port Isabel; Luis Lopez, Hanna; Ramses Ramos, Lopez; David Almazan, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Punter: Jesus Saldivar, Port Isabel