BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | THE MONITOR
PHARR — The last time PSJA North junior Zeth Arevalo played on the offensive side of the ball, he was an 8-year-old in third grade.
Yet, last Friday, Arevalo found himself with the ball in his hands 12 yards out from the goal line, and he carried it in for a touchdown.
“It was different,” Arevalo said. “Especially to do it at the high school level, it’s something I have dreamed about ever since I was 4 years old. It’s a dream come true. When I got to the sideline, it was a lot of excited faces and a lot of joy.”
The score from Arevalo had even more significance than just being his first career touchdown. The game was tied at 10, and the touchdown would prove to be the game-winner, as PSJA North (2-5, 2-2 in District 31-6A) beat PSJA Southwest 17-10 on Friday.
“It was crazy,” senior quarterback Randy Reyna said. “He was jumping and hollering. We were all hugging on the sideline, and we were like, ‘Let’s go, boys. We are 2-2. Let’s keep it going. We are right in the mix, and we can make it.’”
Even earlier this season, Arevalo’s production on offense would have seemed far-fetched. Arevalo made the varsity squad at the end of his sophomore campaign but didn’t make it onto the field. This season, he was playing in a four-man rotation on the defensive line, fighting for every rep he got.
“He was a piece for spelling kids,” North coach Marcus Kaufmann said. “It was one of those deals where he would get in and out and give other guys a rest for a few plays.”
Coming into Week 6, the Raiders were preparing for a big district clash against undefeated PSJA High.
“We were short on the JV side,” Arevalo said. “They didn’t have enough players to run the scouts. They told me to go in, because I was just a rotator on the defensive side. I just went out there and had fun.”
He did more than that, though.
“We gave him the ball, and he made a move and took off,” Kaufmann said. “He made our middle linebacker miss, and we were like, ‘What’s he doing?’ We were like, ‘Uh, yeah, he’s coming over here.’ We brought him over just to get a chance, get some reps, and it just fit.”
Arevalo wasn’t sure what to make of the moment at the time, but he was ready. The following week, against Edinburg North, his name was called, and he got his first carry.
“I was shocked,” Arevalo said. “I really didn’t think I could come to a new position. When they saw me, I was just doing it for fun. I was just trying to give my team a good look. They noticed me, and it just kind of happened.”
In the game against Edinburg North, he had four carries for 34 yards. Last week, against Southwest, he got 10 carries for 35 yards to go along with that touchdown.
“He’s got a feel for it,” Kaufmann said. “He is really, really smart. He is picking up everything we do, our checks, everything already, and he has only been doing it for two weeks.”
As Arevalo mentioned, his dream was always to play football. He used to play with his neighborhood friends. He watched five cousins pull on the black and silver at PSJA North. Even early in his career, he wasn’t sure if he would ever make varsity. So this year, when he was starting to get consistent playing time, he realized where he was.
“It really didn’t hit me until the third game,” Arevalo said. “I looked around and said, ‘This is something I have always worked for. Now, I am finally here.’ It’s a good feeling to finally be a Raider.”
Several moves led to Arevalo arriving where he is today. Senior Juan Elizondo moved from running back to outside linebacker, and sophomore Arturo Beltran moved from wide receiver to running back. With those shakeups, Arevalo was needed at fullback. Now, heading into Week 9, Beltran is questionable with an ankle injury. That means Arevalo is in line to start at running back, should Beltran be unable to go.
But, Thursday’s game will not be an easy one. The Raiders will visit undefeated Edinburg Vela (7-0, 4-0) at 7 p.m. at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.
The Raiders are undefeated since Arevalo moved to offense, and they are now rejuvenated and believing they can make the playoffs.
“We can feel it out there on the field,” Reyna said. “At first, we were deflating a little bit. Once we saw the wins and where we were in the standings, we started to believe. We are right up there, and we have a shot to make it to the playoffs. We have to keep working, and we are not going to stop.”