NATHANIEL MATA | THE MONITOR
WESLACO — During a season in which injuries and adversity have piled up, one group has been a sort of calming agent for the Weslaco East Wildcats. Coach Mike Burget only has to look at the 11 Wildcats on the field when the opposition has the ball, and he can breathe a bit easier.
The team that calls itself “strong side” has no lack of leadership on defense. Up the middle, junior linebacker Freddy Cardenas has made quite the progression from his impressive sophomore season.
Cardenas leads the team in solo tackles with 94 and total tackles with 164. He did the same as a sophomore, when he had 114 total stops.
“When I watch the film, I don’t even have to guess who’s making the tackle anymore,” Burget said. “Last year, he was honorable mention all-state, and he didn’t even have as many tackles. He’s come a long way.”
Cardenas has made 41 tackles in two playoff games, spearheading the aggressive defense that has allowed just 229 yards per game in wins over PSJA High and Laredo Alexander.
On the field, Cardenas is the textbook example of a player who leads with his actions more than his words.
“Everything that they tell me, every detail, I pay attention to it and I take it in,” Cardenas said. “What they taught me is be a teammate, and that’s what I’ve taken in this year, and it’s helped a lot.”
“We saw that in Freddy as a freshman. He’s come in and he’s gotten better every year,” Burget said. “Coach (Mike) Gonzales, our linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator, he coaches him, and he’s real excited about the kid. He goes from sideline to sideline. He doesn’t say too much, so when he says something, the players listen. He leads by example, and you don’t get a kid like this every year.”
The defense hasn’t been a solo effort, as the unit solidified the Wildcats as an elite team despite a banged-up offense. The defense responded after Weslaco East lost running backs Freddy Gonzalez and Roy Pedraza to injury early in the district season. The defense, too, was hurt by injury, with two-way athlete and starting free safety J.C. Vargas missing extended time.
“It’s a team job,” Cardenas said. “When offense couldn’t get it done, we stepped it up. With all these great players, these impact players, we made it through.”
“The defense, they definitely carried us this year, and I’m so proud of coach (co-defensive coordinator Rene) Guzman and the defensive staff with us going through all those injuries and then keeping us in ball games,” Burget said.
East’s defensive line has also made a leap from last year. The unit was part of a solid defense last season, but the Wildcats only had one sack on the year. This summer and into the 2017 campaign, the coaches and the line put an emphasis on increasing that number and pressuring quarterbacks. Mission accomplished.
The defensive accumulated 27 sacks, and the pressure up front is a felt all over the defense.
“That takes off time for the quarterback, and it puts them in a rush, and when they just lob it up there with fear or pressure, it gives our DBs a chance to intercept it, interrupt it,” Cardenas said. “Gives a chance to make plays.”
Defensive tackle Jacob Banda has led the attack with nine sacks.
“A bunch of hard work in the summer,” Banda said. “We have a bunch of playmakers in that defense, especially our D-ends. I just clean up. Just doing my job. Nothing special.”
Even Banda had to admit that what is special is the play of some of his teammates.
“Freddy Cardenas is going to be Freddy Cardenas — he’s going to make some plays,” Banda said. “Ramsey stepped up, came out of nowhere, and Gerald (Garza) is going to be Gerald, also.”
In the secondary, Vasquez has stepped up in absence of Vargas. The sophomore DB has picked off six passes and forced two fumbles. Garza is one of the aforementioned defensive ends. His senior season has included 60 total tackles, six sacks and a fumble recovery.
The Wildcats will need all that speed, power and maybe even a bit of fortune when they face Cibolo Steele at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Alamodome in San Antonio in a Class 6A Division II Region IV semifinal. The teams have met three times since 2014, with Steele getting the best of East each time.
Burget knows the powerhouse will be a tough out, but previous meetings will be out the window.
“We’re looking to get to that fourth round, and I’m not afraid to say that, because these kids have worked hard,” Burget said.
As for Cardenas and the strong side defense, today will be another day at the office playing the only way they know how.
“Just like Coach Burget says, ‘Hit hard every single time. That’s East football,’” Cardenas said. “We hit everyone out there. It’s what we love to do.”