BY NATE KOTISSO | THE MONITOR
MISSION — While Mission Veterans enjoyed its first trip to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs last season, it got there largely due to the Patriots’ offensive weapons.
Missed tackles on defense led to opponents piling up points on the Patriots in 2016. No playoff team in District 31-5A allowed more points (313) than Mission Veterans, and that hurt the Patriots in terms of playoff seeding. Instead of finishing fourth, a stingier defense could have vaulted Mission Vets into contention for a district title.
The best (or worst) example of the Patriots’ tackle trouble came in last year’s game against eventual co-district champion Laredo Nixon. Nixon ran the ball 58 times for 465 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground in a 71-45 Patriots loss in Laredo.
In Nixon’s return game against Mission Vets in Week 7 this season, the Patriots defense allowed the Mustangs just 143 rushing yards and 17 points in a blowout victory.
“It’s embarrassing, to have 71 points scored on us,” Mission Veterans safety Giovanni Grimaldo said. “We never wanted to have that happen again.”
Beyond the game against Nixon, the Patriots (7-0, 5-0) now boast one of the most prolific defenses districtwide. Their 262.1 yards allowed is the third-lowest in District 31-5A thanks to giving up less than 100 rushing yards per game (98.8).
Grimaldo is one of the centerpieces of the Patriots’ defensive transformation. He entered the season as a first-time varsity starter in the Patriots secondary who spent most of his time as a wide receiver before switching sides.
Changing positions has worked to Grimaldo’s benefit, as he leads his team in tackles (84) and interceptions through the first seven games.
“We’ve definitely improved in the secondary,” Grimaldo said. “We’ve had good linebackers and defensive linemen in the box since last year, but now our secondary goes up and tackles.”
“Tackling was one of the areas we struggled in last year,” Mission Veterans coach David Gilpin said. “We didn’t tackle well as a defense, and we didn’t tackle well as a secondary. This year’s bunch misses very few tackles now. Our safeties, Gio and Elias (Delgado), those guys are downhill kids and they will come get you because they are sure tacklers.”
While balancing the most visible and demanding role he’s had at the varsity level, Grimaldo is also a senior, which brings along its own set of responsibilities for leading the younger guys on the team.
“I’ve tried to coach up my teammates the best that I can,” Grimaldo said. “Some people get their heads down, and they mess up. But we know we have to keep our head in the right state of mind and keep on going. You never know what can happen on the next play.”
Grimaldo made his way through the Veterans program first as a freshman team participant, then a JV starter, and he finally got the call up to varsity midway through his junior season.
“We didn’t know he was going to be this good,” Gilpin said. “We started seeing it last year, when we were taking a look at him (on varsity) at defensive back, and he just blossomed in the offseason. He’s one of our heart-and-soul guys.”
Seeing the kind of player and personality Grimaldo was to his teammates, Gilpin brought him into the office shortly before the 2017 season began and asked him about his jersey number.
“Back in 2009, we had a kid who played safety, Jacob Garza, who wore 6 and went on to play college football at West Texas A&M,” Gilpin said. “After Garza left, and we saw another kid with Jacob Garza-like qualities, he wore the 6, and we kept that going. Last year, we didn’t have a 6, because we didn’t feel anybody could wear that number, so we kept it in the closet last year. Gio’s always been a 7, so I asked him about wearing the 6 during the summer. And he said, ‘Coach, it would be an honor.’
“Our kids know what 6 means to our program. It means someone who is an all-state caliber safety. We’ve had three of them, and Gio’s our fourth one to wear it. There’s no doubt he’s an all-state kid.”